The Mystery of Draco Malfoy
by 4fanci
Summary: Hermione Granger liked to figure things out. She liked to predict outcomes. She enjoyed solving Arithmancy problems and loved a good muggle mystery. Who is Draco Malfoy? That question was driving Hermione Granger batty. COMPLETE
1. Chapter One: Who is Draco Malfoy?

_Thanks to JK Rowling for creating an incredible world. This is my attempt to change it up a bit.  
_

 _Your reviews are so appreciated!_

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter One: _Who is Draco Malfoy?_

It was laughable, really. Hermione Granger simply sent her owl into enemy territory and asked Draco Malfoy to meet her. She had hoped that it would be a private correspondence that no one would know about, but she had to consider that in time of war, it was very likely that she would walk straight into a snare set just for her. She had to prepare for the worst.

Hermione spent some time in the library researching portkeys, wands, wards and unplottable spaces. She packed her tent, replenished her food and supplies just in case she had to run. She shrunk everything and organized her extendable bag. She packed books. Muggle books. She thought about Malfoy as she worked.

Hermione had dealt with years of Malfoy's abuse by either a) spewing back insults, b) ignoring him, c) hexing him, or d) punching him in the nose. None of those methods were conducive to getting to know someone. Not that she had ever wanted to... until now.

 _What would Malfoy say when they met?_ Obviously, he would not greet her as a friend, but would he treat her as a foe? Hermione created several scenarios in her mind and then shook her head at each one.

Frankly, Hermione could not imagine Malfoy saying with Gilderoy Lockhart's smiling enthusiasm, "Granger, I am so grateful that you contacted me. How did you know that I wanted out? Thank you for giving me another chance to prove myself!" Hermione nixed that scenario.

Instead, she felt confident that when they met, he would sneer. His eyes would narrow, and a malicious glint would accompany his biting words. "Miss me, Granger?" he might say. "Couldn't live without me, I see. Well, here I am. Now what?" Hermione blushed and moved quickly on to the next scenario.

Then there was the chance that Malfoy would be furious. "Being a Death Eater is my life goal, Granger. What are you doing? Ruining my chances to gain power and prominence among purebloods? Get lost!"

But of all her imagined scenarios, the last seemed least likely. Well, yes, he might be angry, she conceded, but deep down, Hermione did not believe Malfoy enjoyed being a Death Eater.

Hermione frowned and gave a huff of frustration. She could not predict the outcome of their meeting because she did not really know Draco Malfoy.

It was incomprehensible to Hermione that the Battle at Hogwarts hadn't ended the war. While the victors had quietly mourned their dead and rejoiced over Voldemort's apparent demise, Death Eaters had slipped away from Hogwarts and gone on the rampage in London. _Had Voldemort somehow survived? Had Bellatrix come back to life?_ No one knew. Death Eaters left a trail of destruction and fear in their path during that first horrid week after the Battle of Hogwarts. The Order had anticipated that killing Voldemort would throw the Death Eaters into chaos until peace could be re-established.

The Order had never been more wrong.

Hermione had no doubt that Harry would defeat Voldemort eventually, and if not Harry, then someone else would step up. Because while evil could reign for a while, she did not believe that it could sustain itself. Eventually, good would win out.

Unfortunately, the Order itself had been decimated. Lupin and Tonks were a tremendous loss, as were Snape and Moody. They had no visible leader at the moment. Harry seemed defeated and kept to his room at 12 Grimmauld Place. The entire Weasley clan was inconsolable over Fred's death. Professor McGonagall was busy back at Hogwarts attempting to clean things up and prepare for a new year at school. Kingsley Shacklebolt was organizing the chaos at the Ministry, while serving as interim Minister of Magic. Hermione felt that she was on her own, weighing possibilities, wracking her brain, trying to figure out if there was another horocrux or if they had been mistaken about the Elder Wand. She thought that Draco Malfoy might know something.

So, she sent him an owl.

It took one full day before Draco's owl returned with a response. _One full day_. That was enough time to consult with those in command and come up with a plan of attack. This would not be a private meeting after all. Hermione bit her lip and considered her options.

She believed that she would be safe with Draco Malfoy. Hermione Granger hoped that her instinct was right, but then realized that she was basing a huge decision on _hope_ , of all things. She needed proof, so she began writing a list of facts...the beginning of her research on Malfoy.

The Facts

1\. Draco Malfoy was a mean, sneering, contemptuous, prejudiced bully.

2\. He stared at Hermione, Ron, and Harry at every meal and during every class at Hogwarts.

3\. He said that he wanted her to die.

4\. He took the Dark Mark.

5\. He cried in Myrtle's bathroom.

6\. He let Death Eaters into Hogwarts.

7\. He did not kill Dumbledore.

8\. He was horrified when his Aunt Bellatrix tortured Hermione at Malfoy Manor.

9\. He did nothing to help her.

10\. Malfoy chose to follow his family (ie: Voldemort) during the Battle of Hogwarts.

When she examined the facts, she had to admit that Draco Malfoy was a paradox. Was he good or was he evil? Hermione believed that Draco Malfoy had _some_ goodness cowering underneath his hard exterior. Three out of the ten on her list indicated he had a conscience and deeper feelings.

Hermione's many questions about Draco Malfoy's identity could be boiled down to one question: _Why?_ Why did he take the Dark Mark? Why did he cry in Myrtle's bathroom? Why did Bellatrix's torture of Hermione disturb him? Why did he choose to follow his family when he had the perfect opportunity to take a stand and fight on the side of Light? She had plenty of guesses, but she really wanted to hear his story from his own lips.

Quite frankly, the only way Hermione could ever find answers was if she were to get to know Draco Malfoy, and _that_ would never happen. Her imagination would have to fill the gaps in her knowledge. If she could travel back in time to their last year together at Hogwarts Days, she might have asked Malfoy, "Why do you stare at me all the time?" Here is how she imagined his response:

Cold eyes would drift over her as if _she_ had no right to speak to _Royalty_. He would turn to Zabini or Parkinson or Crabbe or Goyle as if she weren't even present. Of course, Pansy Parkinson would glance contemptuously at Hermione with that malicious smile of hers. **Message** : _Mudbloods don't exist._

If she could find him alone, without his sidekicks, would he have the same response? Hermione tried to imagine this new scenario in the halls of Hogwarts.

"Why do _you_ stare at _me_ , Granger? Like what you see?"

"Ha! Maybe I just want to keep track of the person most likely to _murder_ me."

"And maybe I am keeping track of the trio most likely to murder _me_."

"Right. Like we would kill you, Malfoy. Hex, yes, but murder? You are much more likely to be murdered by your master... _Voldemort._ "

Silence.

What would he do next? What would he say? Would she see coldness, fury, and hatred? Would he draw his wand? **Message** : _Get out of my life, Mudblood. Stay out of my business._

Or, would she see fear, desperation, or _remorse_ in his eyes? She was convinced that Draco Malfoy was a tortured soul, that he did not enjoy being a Death Eater and that he _should not be one_. Would he agree? Would he ever tell her that he was sorry that his aunt had used the Cruciatus on Hermione in Malfoy Manor? Not likely _._ **Message** : _Malfoys do not admit weakness. They do not apologize, especially to their enemies._

What if he found her comment about Voldemort funny? Would he laugh? Well, only if he also hated Voldemort and agreed with her in a darkly humorous way. Of course, Hermione had been the recipient of sneers, but had she ever seen him truly smile? Maybe he would find her backtalk witty and his eyes would soften as he looked at her? **Message** : _I secretly love you, Hermione Granger because you believe there is good in me._

Hermione gasped.

Where on earth did that thought come from? She had never liked Draco Malfoy. _No_. She could not possibly fancy Draco Malfoy, that horrible person with the shiny hair! What would Harry and Ron think? Ron would be furious; the Weasleys appalled. If Malfoy ever treated her kindly, it would most likely be right before he used the _Avada Kedavra._ Banish that imaginary Malfoy right now. Draco Malfoy had only ever treated her with coldness.

Stick to the facts.

Draco Malfoy hated Hermione Granger. _True_.

But...Would Draco Malfoy _kill_ Hermione Granger _?_ Now, that was the puzzle of the day. She thought of her recent visit to Malfoy Manor and recalled his horrified face when Bellatrix hit her with the Cruciatus Curse and felt confident that he would never hurt her.

Well... unless he was forced to kill Hermione in order to save his dear mother's life.

Or... unless he had to choose between death for himself or death for Hermione.

Her mind was spinning, and Hermione wanted to scream with vexation. Yes, it was likely that a situation existed where Draco Malfoy would be forced to kill her, but if she could just isolate him from his Death Eater cronies, she might be safe during her brief rendezvous with her childhood nemesis.

Hermione Granger liked to figure things out. She liked to predict outcomes. She enjoyed solving Arithmancy problems and loved a good muggle mystery.

 _Who is Draco Malfoy?_ That question was currently driving Hermione Granger batty.


	2. Chapter Two: Help from Hogwarts

_A special thanks to the great JK Rowling for writing an incredible story! Her writing has certainly inspired mine. And thanks to Roze Potter who posted the very first review!  
_

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Two: _Help from Hogwarts_

 **Day One**

Her owl had said,

 _Malfoy,_

 _Meet me._

 _Granger_

 **Day Two**

His owl had responded,

 _Where? When?_

 _DM_

 **Day Three**

Her owl replied,

 _DM,_

 _Tomorrow, 1PM_

 _Shrieking Shack_

 _Come alone._

 _HG_

She winced at the "come alone" part. It sounded like a bad spy novel where the protagonists meet for a romantic tryst in a secret location. Actually, she did feel a rush of adrenaline at the thought of ... dueling her nemesis.

Harry and Ron would be furious that they had not been invited. The Order would not permit this meeting-and she did know it was dangerous. The entire Weaseley family would doggedly follow her to the Shrieking Shack if they knew about this idiotic plan. To attempt a meeting alone with Draco Malfoy was the height of foolishness, because he would not be coming alone, she had no doubt. And neither would she. She would have back-up too. Hidden back-up.

Hermione apparated to Hogsmeade, and then began the walk up to the Hogwarts castle. She shook her head at the destruction left from the recent battle. Her eyes grew teary at the memory of precious lives cut short here in a place of learning. Students, teachers, and aurors had died on the premises. And that made her very angry.

As Hermione stalked down the empty corridors of Hogwarts, she imagined Harry and Ron beside her, laughing at a silly joke. Then they turned a corner and disappeared, so she imagined Draco Malfoy standing at the end of the hall, alone.

This would be the perfect opportunity to ask how he could even think of killing Dumbledore and why he had let Death Eaters into the school. How could he do such a terrible thing? Endangering innocent children and a dear old professor? But before she could even ask her angry question, the imaginary Draco Malfoy sent a hex shooting down the hall; enraged, she hexed him right back. She chased him down the hallway ready to attack from every angle until she demolished every blond hair on that proud head. She wanted nothing to do with that git, Draco Malfoy.

Hermione stopped in her tracks, for once confused by her own thoughts. So, why was she making elaborate plans to meet him? Why did she want to hear what Draco Malfoy had to say? It had seemed so clear this morning. She closed her eyes and remembered that Malfoy had information. He himself might even be key to ending this war. When she quieted her emotions, she felt a pull to find Malfoy and knew that it was important that she make this effort. In order to succeed, she would have to let go of her anger toward her former classmate, and this is what she was reluctant to do. Hermione reminded herself of the three things on her list that led her to believe that Draco Malfoy felt remorse.

Hermione Granger strode purposefully to Professor McGonagall's office door and knocked firmly.

"Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall said, startled at the sight of Hermione at her door. "What a surprise! How are you, my dear? Can I help you?"

"Professor, I am about to embark upon a potentially dangerous mission," _Oh, the theatrics of it all!_ Hermione thought wryly, "and I hoped you would be my contact."

"Oh, my." Professor McGonagall looked less than thrilled. "Well. Come in, my dear. Please tell me everything. Tea?"

"Yes, thank you, Professor," Hermione frowned as she helped herself to the ever ready pot of tea in McGonagall's office. "Here is what I am thinking: We don't know what is going on in the enemy camp. _Is Voldemort still alive? Is Bellatrix?_ What is their plan? But Draco Malfoy is there. He knows what is going on. He knows who their leader is now, and I want to... to... to... _kidnap_ him in order to gain information. He and I are meeting tomorrow."

Professor McGonagall's eyebrows rose, and she pursed her lips with disapproval.

"Miss Granger, this does not at all sound like an appropriate arrangement. I strongly caution you against it. You and Mr. Malfoy have shared an antagonistic past, to say the least. What leads you to believe that he will volunteer the information you wish to know? What makes you think you can _kidnap_ a young man surrounded by Death Eaters? Have you considered whether he himself might wish to do you harm? This is a very foolish idea."

"I know," Hermione said sadly. "But we are at an impasse. The Death Eaters cannot continue to strike fear into our community. They cannot continue to kill innocent people. And..and... I _think_ Malfoy would agree with me."

"Miss Granger, you must remember that the Malfoys maintain very strong control over their son. He will not be able to work with you, no matter what... _ideologies_ ," she said this word doubtfully, "he may hold. What leads you to believe that he would want to help you?"

Hermione blushed and realized that her instincts about Draco Malfoy were primarily based upon her _imagination_. Never had he given her any indication that he would consider -switching sides.

"He has never led me to believe that he would want to change or help our side, Professor McGonagall. But _Professor Dumbledore_ believed in Draco Malfoy. He wanted to give him another chance. And I'm not really asking him to switch sides. I'm... kidnapping him."

 _I might have to torture him to get information,_ she realized. It should be fairly easy for a Mudblood to think up some horrifying, but non-life threatening torture for a Pureblood. Her lips curved wryly in amusement as she thought of the dentistry tools in her father's office, but then she froze at the thought of fostering fear in order to torture _anyone_ , let alone Malfoy.

"I see." Professor McGonagall softened at the mention of Dumbledore. "Does Mr. Potter know of this plan, Miss Granger?"

"No. He is not...able... to help at the moment. You are the only one to know."

"What if instead of capturing Mr. Malfoy, he captures you?"

"Then I will have an extra portkey that will take me to a different location."

"If you are able to capture Mr. Malfoy, where are you going to take him? I assume you plan to go into hiding?"

"I have a tent. We will travel, possibly in the Muggle world."

McGonagall looked thoughtful. Then she roused herself briskly.

"Well, I do have a suggestion. You may take Mr. Malfoy to my home. It would be safer to stay in one place. I can get there quickly if you need me, so yes, I will be your contact. The floo in my cottage is connected to Hogwarts. You will be able to access Hogwarts, but I am afraid that Mr. Malfoy will not. My home is strongly warded and unplottable, thanks to Professor Lupin." Sorrow overshadowed her face, but she nodded her head like a quick brown bird. "I can see why you want to attempt this meeting. This war _must_ be stopped for the sake of the children and our future as witches and wizards. And I do hope that Mr. Malfoy will remember his training here at Hogwarts and will choose the right path."

This was unexpected. No pointing out flaws in her plan? No scolding her back to safety? Hermione beamed at her teacher. _Finally!_ She had found a kindred spirit who was also angry at the turn of events and wished this war would end. They had no time to lose. She had a hunch that McGongall would prefer the war to be over before the start of the new term.

"Thank you, so much, Professor! I'm meeting Malfoy tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 in the Shrieking Shack. Do you think Hagrid can be close by? If he sees any Death Eaters in the area, he can notify the Order. I'm going to leave a message for the Aurors to stop by at 1:30 so they can capture a few Death Eaters-or intervene if I'm in over my head."

She thanked Professor McGonagall and stood to leave, spontaneously turning back to give her beloved teacher a swift hug.

"Wait," Professor McGonagall stopped Hermione. "You must come to my home through the floo right now; I want to you see if it is suitable for your mission. I will also need to explain how the wards work. We can change the wards to prevent Mr. Malfoy's escape."

Hermione smiled and followed her teacher to the floo. Once inside Professor McGonagall's home, she would have the ability to set up her portkey and organize her ... _prison_.


	3. Chapter Three: Waiting for Malfoy

_Thank you for the encouraging reviews. I like them all._

 _All rights belong to Rowling._

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Three: _Waiting for Malfoy_

Hermione arrived half an hour early. She calmly went through her checklist in her head. Did she have everything she might need? Her extendable bag was a treasure. It held everything she could think of: an extra wand, supplies in case she had to go on the run, books in case being a kidnapper proved boring. She had made three portkeys: a necklace, a bracelet, and an anklet in case her hands were bound together or she ended up wandless. The first two would take her to Professor McGonagall's cottage when she rubbed the gemstones. The third would take her to Shell Cottage. She had thought about possibly needing one to get her to Grimmauld Place, but she wanted to keep her friends safe from a Death Eater attack in case they followed her somehow. Shell Cottage was empty right now since Bill and Fleur were staying with the Weasleys and Harry at 12 Grimmauld Place. These three portkeys would be considered illegal by the Ministry, which made her feel slightly uncomfortable

Hermione hoped and prayed that Draco Malfoy would be cooperative and that her backup plans would not be necessary. She checked her watch. Fifteen more minutes. She really was too nervous to be hungry, but bit into an apple just for something to do.

 _No sign of Malfoy._

She had predicted that he would be early. He seemed like an early type of person who would want to have his presence established beforehand. Then it would have seemed like Hermione was the one invading his turf. Hermione circled the interior of the small shack. She stood beside each window and peered carefully out of the corners of the windows for signs of Death Eaters in the area. All was quiet. She chose to stand in the corner of the room least visible to the door. This would have been the corner Malfoy would have selected, she thought. He would have liked to observe her while unseen...unless he opted for a center stage. She went through her checklist again and breathed deeply to keep herself calm. Her wand was in her hand. It was one o'clock.

 _No sign of Malfoy_.

She began to get worried. Was he going to show up? She tried to imagine him rushing in to their appointment, saying, "Sorry, I'm late," but failed. Malfoy would be deliberate and elegant, no matter the time. It was another rule she could add to her book. _Malfoys do not rush._ However, if he was too late, he might show up at the same time as the Aurors, and then their meeting wouldn't happen at all. He might either be captured by Aurors, or he might quickly disapparate, which seemed more likely. And if he disappeared, so would her chance to speak with him. Disappointment surged through her. Why did she have this desire to connect with him? She wanted answers to her questions; that's why.

 _No sign of Malfoy._

She wished for the presence of Ron and Harry. They would have helped pass the time, and they would have protected one another. She remembered the times spent under the cover of Harry's invisibility cloak shushing one another. She felt foolish once again for attempting this on her own. Malfoy would probably be uncertain about his reception, so she anticipated that they would try to snatch each other's wand or send hexes. She recited spells that she might have to use in battle. Hopefully, there would be just Malfoy, no other Death Eaters forcing entry. Hermione thought she could handle Malfoy if she needed to. She went over the checklist in her head. Her stomach began to churn. She leaned toward the closest window to peer out. She fidgeted. It was ten after one.

 _No sign of Malfoy_.

Hermione began to lose hope that Malfoy would show up, and this had the effect of keeping her calm. She stopped caring and actually started thinking about lunch. She was bored. She even fingered the novel in her pocket. Oh well, it was a nice try, anyway. Let the Aurors handle it; they were trained for this kind of thing. Her heart stilled, and her mind slowed. She thought of the Weasleys and Harry and wondered what they were doing.

At quarter past one, she heard the _pop_ of someone apparating. The door flew open and Draco Malfoy stood bathed in sunlight. His white blond hair shone in the sun behind him. His black cloak blew in the wind. Hermione smiled.

"Malfoy," she said. "Come in and close the door behind you."

His eyes took a minute to locate her in the darkness of the shack.

"Granger?" he greeted coldly. Hermione gave a sigh of relief and relaxed. He wasn't going to attack. He closed the door, and the stream of light disappeared.

"Malfoy, I need to know what's going on. Is Voldemort still alive? Is Bellatrix? Why are the Death Eaters still attacking innocent people?"

" _Expelliarmus!"_ Hermione's wand flew into Draco's hand. Her eyes flew to his. Draco sneered at her and walked quickly over to Hermione, pointing his wand at her throat. Hermione grabbed his wrist to push the wand away, but he dug it deeper into her throat. Hermione's other hand flew to her necklace as she looked into the eyes of Draco Malfoy.

Her heart sank. His eyes were cold and empty. She had been totally wrong about him. She felt for her second wand.

"Living mudblood. Dead mudblood."

There was death in this face. There was no sympathy or humor or even conflict. Was it only just weeks ago that she had seen agony and horror in these eyes? Where was Draco Malfoy now? Had he given himself over to being a Death Eater? He was going to hurt her, she knew.

" _Avada-"_

Hermione rubbed her necklace, and the two swirled away. In a moment, they stumbled into a dark cellar. Before Malfoy could finish his spell, Hermione whipped her wand out of her robe and cried, " _Petrificus Totalus!"_

Draco Malfoy fell over, solid as a board. Hermione closed her eyes, trying to still her beating heart. The worst, really, had happened. She hadn't truly believed that Draco Malfoy might attempt to murder Hermione Granger. She hadn't believed that she would see such a cold, expressionless stare out of his face. She hadn't believed that she would hear the _Avada Kedavra_ from his lips. A dark horror settled deep within Hermione Granger.

She reached over and snatched both wands out of his hand. Now she had three. Her new rule: _Always carry two wands_. In these times, one never knew when your first wand might be confiscated. She knew that the Dark Side was practicing wandless magic, but she wasn't experienced enough yet to survive without her wand-so- _always carry two_.

Checking his pockets to be sure that he didn't have any dark artifacts that would kill her or betray their location, Hermione sighed. There was only an hour before the spell would wear off. She would bind him to the chair and then begin their... conversation. She had a feeling it would not be productive given his current state of animosity.

Footsteps and the rattling of dishes and cutlery could be heard upstairs. Was Professor McGonagall home? She felt a wave of relief at the thought and turned to walk upstairs without a backward glance at her disappointing prisoner.

"Hello," she called to give her professor warning. When she reached the kitchen, it was not her teacher who turned, but ...Hermione gasped, " _Bellatrix?"_ Her wand was whipped out in a second, aimed at the woman in front of her.


	4. Chapter Four: His Future is Azkaban

_All rights belong to JK Rowling. She owns it all._

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Four: _His Future is Azkaban_

Hermione stood in shock, her wand pointed at Bellatrix.

"No," said the woman slowly, "No, I am Andromeda, Nymphadora Tonks' mother."

Hermione's shaking hand lowered her wand.

"I am so sorry, Mrs. Tonks. I was expecting to see Professor McGonagall, and you surprised me."

"I can see that," Andromeda said wryly. "I suppose you are wondering why I am here."

"Yes," replied Hermione.

Andromeda nodded. "Minerva asked me to stay with you today. She thought you might need a chaperone."

 _Chaperone!_ The idea seemed ludicrous in light that Draco Malfoy had almost just tried to kill her. She didn't think they had to worry about any other kinds of improper behaviors. But she was incredibly grateful for Andromeda's presence.

"Thank you," Hermione said with relief. "I am glad you are here. Draco Malfoy is hostile. I was hoping he would come willingly, but such was not the case, so I might need help. I even might need protection. I'd ask Harry, but I don't want Harry or Ron to know that Malfoy is here yet until after we have a chance to talk. I think any other Order members might kill him first."

"Well," drawled Andromeda. "He is my nephew; I won't kill him."

Hermione looked at Andromeda in surprise. Of course, she was Draco's aunt. The resemblance to Bellatrix was uncanny, but she could now see a resemblance to Narcissa. And she could see a bit of Tonks there too. So this was Andromeda Tonks, the woman who was cut off from the Black family when she married Muggleborn Ted Tonks. This woman could be valuable, very valuable to their cause. Hermione blessed Professor McGonagall for sending Andromeda Tonks.

"I'm headed back down to see if he will talk to me. Can you watch my back? I really think he's dangerous, Mrs. Tonks."

"Tea first?" suggested Draco Malfoy's aunt. "I'd like to hear why you brought my nephew here."

Hermione glanced at her watch. "Yes, I think we have time."

Andromeda brought a small tray with tea and crumpets into the sitting room. Hermione glanced around. The small room was dark. Shrubbery or trees must shelter the cottage, Hermione thought. The furniture, wallpaper, and rug were dark colors. But the sheer curtains were white, as were the crotchet antimacassars on the backs of each chair. Between the chairs was a small table that held a reading lamp, a bouquet of charmed white daisies, and a thin stack of books. Moving photos of people Hermione had never met adorned the walls and bookcases. The room was cluttered but cozy, much like Professor McGonagall's office at Hogwarts. It seemed slightly unfair to be enjoying a cup of tea in the sitting room while Malfoy was tied up in the basement.

"Mrs. Tonks, I am sorry for your losses," Hermione began hesitantly. There were so many recent losses to deal with, but the loss of one's daughter must be absolutely dreadful. Andromeda Tonks had just lost her entire family with the exception of Tonk's baby, Teddy Lupin.

"Thank you," Andromeda replied warmly, but her eyes closed in pain. Then she opened her eyes, stirred her milk into her tea, and shifted to another topic. "Please call me Andromeda, and please tell me about your plans for my nephew."

"I want to know what is happening in the enemy camp." Hermione sipped her tea, thankful for the calming effect it had on her nerves. "Draco Malfoy must know, and I thought he would talk to me, but he's not the same person I saw just three weeks ago when Harry, Ron, and I were captives at the Manor. Could he have changed so much in such a short time?"

"He might be under a spell," Andromeda began thoughtfully. "You said that he was dangerous. Tell me what happened."

"We met at the Shrieking Shack. I thought he might try to disarm me, so I carried an extra wand just in case, but I didn't expect him to use the _Avada Kedavra_ on me. I didn't think he was a killer, Andromeda. Before he could finish the spell, I activated the portkey and stunned him when we arrived." Hermione was so upset by the change in Draco Malfoy that she couldn't go on.

Andromeda was curious. "I do not know my nephew at all, so tell me why you thought a Death Eater would be sympathetic to your cause."

Hermione flushed and looked guilty. "I have no reason to think that he would be sympathetic to me or the Order. I do know that when Bellatrix tortured me at Malfoy Manor with the _Cruciatus_ curse, Malfoy was in agony. He was horrified to see me in pain at his aunt's hand. I saw the torment in his eyes, Andromeda. If he could have stopped her, I know he would have. So if he is under a spell right now, then we should rescue him. That doesn't mean he will talk, but Andromeda, the least we can do is give Malfoy the chance that he has never had. If we don't intervene, then all Draco Malfoy has to look forward to in this life is a future in Azkaban."

Andromeda raised her eyebrows at Hermione's passion for a spoiled young man about whom she had never heard any good.

"I see." And it could very well be that she did see, more in fact, than Hermione intended.

Hermione finished her tea and stood up. "I'm going down to try to talk to Malfoy. Could you check on me in about five minutes?"

Andromeda nodded and collected the tea tray. Hermione calmly stepped through the small house to the stairs leading to the cellar. At the bottom of the stairs, she paused to watch Malfoy for a minute. He was still, solid as a board. His features were perfectly carved like a statue, but his open eyes shone with gray light. How sad that such a lovely face masked such coldness and hate. Hermione took out her wand and chanted a spell to bind him properly; then she released him from _Petrificus Totalus._ Immediately, his body sagged in relief. He inhaled deeply, then struggled to sit up and raised his head to look at Hermione.

Hermione sat down on the floor opposite Draco Malfoy. She looked into his eyes. They were cold, hard, empty. Nothing was there. _Had she imagined the other feelings?_ Her self-confidence began to falter. She lowered her eyes thoughtfully.

"Malfoy," she began, "Do you _want_ to spend your life in Azkaban? I thought you went home to be with your family after the Battle of Hogwarts. Are you acting as a Death Eater again? _What are you doing with your life?_ "

There was no reply. Malfoy's silvery eyes narrowed. Hermione waited a bit. Then she spoke again firmly.

"Malfoy, answer me. Why do you want to kill me? If you had killed me, you would have been sentenced to Azkaban, maybe even the Dementor's Kiss! Is that your plan? If it's not _your_ plan, then whose?"

She lifted her eyes to Malfoy's and once again felt her stomach drop. His eyes were so cold, so hard. She saw no emotions in his eyes: no regret, no compassion, no anger. _Was this Draco Malfoy?_

"Malfoy, are you there? Answer me!" she commanded intently.

Suddenly, Malfoy leaned forward. A foreign speech came out of his mouth; it was not Latin, not German, but a language somewhat musical. Hermione listened but could not identify the sounds. He stared intently into Hermione's eyes, and he mumbled incoherently. Hermione leaned forward to hear him, but found herself a bit dazed. Was she floating or falling? The room began to spin.

Her mind was caught, trying to decipher Malfoy's words. Her wand slid down to the ground. Her head fell to her chest. Swirls of smoke and evil filled her mind, and she began to run, calling for Malfoy. She turned a shadowy corner and saw Malfoy, strong and powerful, standing above her. He pointed his wand at her throat and laughed maniacally.

" _Avada Kada-_ "

" _Silencio!"_

Andromeda's raised voice cut into to Malfoy's incantation. His voice stopped, though his mouth kept moving. Andromeda reached over to Hermione and lifted her head to look into her eyes.

" _Finite!"_

Hermione's eyes cleared, and she looked at Andromeda, horrified that Malfoy had once again almost killed her.

"He was going to kill me again," she murmured to Andromeda. "But he doesn't have a wand! How did he do that? Is it wandless magic?"

"I've seen this before," said Andromeda. "Bellatrix has this power. Either she has enchanted my nephew, or she has taught him her spells. Let's go upstairs."

Both women gave Draco Malfoy a long look before they left. He was still staring intently at Hermione and moving his lips. Hermione did not feel safe and left quickly.


	5. Chapter Five: Tears

_Not my world; it's JK Rowling's. She deserves all credit._

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Five: _Tears_

Andromeda led Hermione out of the cellar, then turned and ran her wand over Hermione to detect lingering spells. Hermione felt disoriented and out of sorts, but mostly she was angry that Malfoy had tried to kill her once _again._ So she really was just a _Mudblood_ to him, just an enemy to vanquish, just a bug to squash. Examine the facts: _Draco Malfoy had twice attempted murder within the same hour_. Anger rushed through Hermione, anger and sorrow for the man young Draco Malfoy had become.

Hermione angrily brushed away tears and put her head in her hands. _Why did she want to cry?_ Draco Malfoy wasn't the caliber of person that Fred Weasley or Remus and Tonks Lupin had been. He didn't deserve her tears, but she did think it was a waste, a waste of potential good, stolen by Voldemort. And that made her very angry. Hermione lifted her head and glared around Professor McGonagall's kitchen. _This could have worked. This should have worked._ She was furious that Voldemort-or Bellatrix- had stymied her attempt to talk to Draco Malfoy.

"What time do you need to leave, Andromeda?" asked Hermione tersely.

"I'm going to Harry's at six to pick up little Teddy. Minerva will relieve me."

"Well, the good news is that we have a potentially valuable prisoner."

"And the bad news is that he is very dangerous indeed," added Andromeda.

"How did Draco Malfoy get into my mind? How did he become that powerful without a wand?"

"It might be my sister Bellatrix. It's her spell, a combination of legilimency and wandless magic. But note that it is not wordless magic. Very dark. I'd recognize it a mile away. Either she taught it to him or she is working through him."

"What language was he speaking? I've never heard it before."

"I don't know," Andromeda shrugged. "French?"

Hermione shook her head, "I don't think it was French-unless it is some kind of dialect that I haven't heard before. Andromeda, do you think Malfoy could be under the Imperius curse?" Maybe this evil Malfoy wasn't the real one after all.

Andromeda nodded thoughtfully. "It could be. On the other hand, it could be someone else polyjuiced to look like Draco Malfoy."

Hermione smiled at Andromeda. "I am so glad you are here with me, Andromeda. Anyone else would be after Malfoy's blood. You are the first one I've met, well, besides Professor Dumbledore, who believes there's more to Draco Malfoy than we see. You believe that the evil Malfoy isn't the real one, don't you?"

"Child," Andromeda sighed. "I have no idea. I am following your gut instinct. And also, Narcissa's."

"Your sister?"

"Yes. Narcissa's son is her greatest treasure. There must be a reason why that is."

Hermione did not follow that reasoning. _A spoiled child is still a spoiled child regardless of the value one places upon that child,_ she thought. She shrugged.

"Well, if this is a Polyjuice case, we should be seeing a change sometime soon. And if it's the Imperius curse, can we release him from it?"

Both Hermione and Andromeda hopped up and rushed downstairs with their wands in hand. They entered the cellar boldly and pointed their wands toward Draco Malfoy's still body, but stopped suddenly. They grabbed each other's arms and began to laugh at themselves hysterically when they realized that they could not release Draco Malfoy from any spells without more back-up. If they did so, he would be free from his bindings to attack! _They had almost set Malfoy free!_

"Well, that was a bright idea," chuckled Hermione, wiping her eyes. "I think we will need a few more wands in the room before we set Malfoy free to kill us both."

Andromeda smiled and gazed at her nephew. His eyes widened at their laughter, and he looked confused. Andromeda released him from _Silencio._

"Draco, I am your Aunt Andromeda. It's very nice to meet you. Are you hungry? Can I get you anything to eat or drink?"

Malfoy looked confused. "Water, please," he replied vaguely. "Where am I? Why am I here?"

"For those answers you will have to ask Hermione. I can bring you water and will make up a cot for you to sleep on. Please let me know if you need anything else."

"Thank you," he responded politely. Andromeda turned to go upstairs, but Hermione grabbed her arm once again.

"Wait a minute," she whispered. Andromeda nodded and waited by the stairs.

"Malfoy, it's me, Granger. I brought you here to talk. I need to know if Voldemort and Bellatrix are alive."

In less than a second, Draco Malfoy's face hardened. His eyes focused and narrowed as he scanned her face with hatred, and he began breathing threats and curses. He lunged toward her, but the bindings held him back. The singsong mutterings began again. Hermione turned her eyes away from him and fought the urge to surrender to his will.

"Why are you doing this? What have I ever done to you? Why do you want to hurt me?" she cried. She turned back toward him and gazed at his scowling, unattractive face that was peering into hers. She circled Malfoy, glowering at his silvery blond hair. When the mutterings grew too much for her to bear, she lifted her wand and shouted, " _Petrificus Totalis!"_

Draco Malfoy was once more stiff as a board. Andromeda drew close and shook her head.

"Maybe _you_ are the trigger for this behavior, Hermione. Maybe someone else should question him instead of you."

Hermione nodded wearily. "You may be right. I'm going to Hogwarts to fill in Professor McGonagall and get a few books. I'm not as prepared as I thought I was for this."

"I'll bring the blankets for the cot. Come with me?"

Hermione nodded, but did not follow. She conjured a chair and sat, continuing to gaze at her captive. Without the snarl, the sneer, the hatred, Draco Malfoy looked like such a nice boy. She touched a lock of his blond hair that had fallen onto his forehead. His skin looked smooth. If only his eyes were kind. Hmmph! Harry and Ron would definitely say, "I told you, Hermione! Draco Malfoy will never change!"

" _Change. Change, Draco Malfoy, change_. Be the person you were meant to be. Not this monster, please not this. _Change. Change, Draco Malfoy,_ " she whispered.

Hermione stared and stared. Draco Malfoy stared back, but his eyes were frozen, so he could not hurt her. He also could not communicate. She sighed in frustration; her questions would never be answered at this rate. She stood up to leave, but paused.

 _What was that?_ It couldn't be!

From Draco Malfoy's right eye, a tear began to form.


	6. Chapter Six: Hidden on the Inside

_If you like it, please leave a review!_

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Six: _Hidden on the Inside_

Hermione placed her hand on Malfoy's. "You are there, Malfoy, I knew it. I knew you weren't that monster that keeps attacking. I'm coming. I'm coming to find you. Hang on!"

"Hermione? Is everything okay?" Andromeda came into the cellar carrying blankets. "You didn't join me, and it isn't safe here."

"Andromeda! Malfoy is there! He's trapped inside! I'm going to find him and set him free!" Hermione laughed excitedly. Andromeda looked at her curiously.

"What do you mean, Hermione?" she asked with a worried frown.

"Look! It's a tear! He's crying. Draco Malfoy is trapped inside! I'm going to get him out!"

Andromeda stared at the tear sliding down Draco Malfoy's smooth, frozen cheek.

"I've never seen anything like this before. It's impossible."

"He's fighting to get out."

"It could be a trap, Hermione. He could be luring you in"

"No, Voldemort knows only intimidation and fear. He wouldn't think of enticing me with a tear."

"No, but Bellatrix might. She's evil, powerful, and intuitive. Are you a legilimens, Hermione? Is that how you plan to 'go in'? Draco just invaded your mind and attacked; do you think it is safe for you to invade _his_ mind?"

"No, you are right; it's not safe, but I do have _this_ ," Hermione bragged with a smile, holding up her second wand.

"Bellatrix's wand?" Andromeda gaped. "How on earth did you get her wand?" Andromeda was amazed at the young witch standing before her.

"I ...ended up with it after ...when we escaped Malfoy Manor."

Andromeda stared.

"I've used it several times, including to stun Malfoy here in the cellar. I'm trying to figure out if it might protect me or turn against me if I have to face Bellatrix's own spells."

Andromeda whistled. "If you have Bellatrix's wand, what did she use to _Imperius_ Draco?"

"I don't know. But when I last saw Malfoy, he was not...in this condition. And I have had Bellatrix's wand ever since. She did not have it to curse Malfoy."

"I think we have solved a mystery here, Hermione. I think the reason why Malfoy is trying to kill you is because Bellatrix wants her wand back. She carries a very strong attachment to her belongings, especially magical ones."

"So, she is definitely alive then," murmured Hermione thoughtfully. "And fighting. Well, I'm fighting too."

"But we need to weigh whether using her wand will give _you_ more power or _her_ more power. Perhaps you using her wand is the reason she survived the Battle at Hogwarts."

Hermione stared at the wand in horror. _Could a wand be a horocrux?_ If she destroyed it, would Bellatrix die? If she used it, would the evil that lived in Bellatrix enter her? It was something she should have thought more about. _If only there was more time!_ Hermione felt a sense of urgency in rescuing Malfoy. The longer he was under this curse, the more difficult it would be to pull him out.

She needed to talk to Harry.

* * *

Hermione knocked on Harry's door. She opened it to see Harry curled up in his bed. Her heart sunk. Maybe she shouldn't bother him.

"Hey, Hermione. Come in. I'm awake."

"Hi, Harry. Where's Ron?"

"He's outside with Ginny and little Teddy. Cute baby. Ginny adores him. Hermione, where have you been? You've been gone for hours."

 _If he only knew._

Hermione was evasive. "I'm working on something. Harry, I have a question for you, but I don't want to bother you."

"No, it's fine. I need to get up anyway. Let's go to the kitchen."

"So, Harry, when Voldemort was in your mind, could he harm you? Can a legilimens harm the mind they are invading? Vice versa, can the mind harm the invader?"

"I don't know. Hmm. Let me think. Voldemort was in me, so that's why he couldn't kill me. I wouldn't say he was in _my_ mind; rather, I was an observer into _his_ mind. And I couldn't hurt him. Although Voldemort appearing in my mind was not exactly a dream vacation. It did cause pain."

Hermione noticed that Harry was using the past tense when speaking about Voldemort.

"And if Voldemort couldn't kill you, how could you kill him? Do you think he is still alive?"

Harry sighed deeply. "Yes, I do think he is alive. It must be the reason why we've had all the terrorism from Death Eaters. That's why it's been so hard for me. Hermione, I am tired. Tired of fighting evil. Tired of being the hero. Tired of never quite winning. Will this go on for the rest of my life? How many times have I tried to kill the evil creep?"

Hermione took Harry's hand. "No, Harry. It won't last forever. You need a break. Take your dream vacation. Rest, Harry. Others will step in to continue the fight. You have done your job."

"But it wasn't good enough. I gave my life, and _lived,_ and it's still not enough."

"Yes, it is enough, Harry. You fought brilliantly. You saved lives. Voldemort, if he is alive, has to be very weak. His power has to be gone. Can you feel him at all or sense his presence?"

"No, nothing. You may be right, Hermione. Maybe we _can_ defeat Voldemort while he is weak." A spark of the old Harry glimmered in his green eyes. Hermione put her arms around her friend and hugged him tightly.

"We will, Harry. We will." This was the best conversation she had had with Harry since the Battle at Hogwarts. He was looking to the future without total defeat. Now, if she could just find out about Bellatrix's wand.

"Harry, what do you think about Bellatrix's wand? Do you think it could be a horocrux? And if it is, she can't harm me, right?"

Harry stared. "What are you thinking, Hermione?"

"Well, if Bellatrix is alive, then this wand could protect me from her attacks."

"Are you planning to invade the Death Eater camp?"

"No, I'm planning to go to Malfoy Manor for tea tomorrow," she answered sarcastically. "Look Harry, someone is behind the Death Eater attacks. You know that it either has to be Voldemort or Lucius Malfoy or Bellatrix. At least that's what I'm thinking."

"We saw Voldemort and Bellatrix killed in battle."

"But I have her wand, so she could be trying to get it back."

"Hermione, be very careful with that wand. It's evil. You shouldn't be using it. Remember how the locket affected us when we were on the run. This wand could do the same to you," Harry said seriously.

"Do you think I should destroy it? I do have a basilisk fang left, Harry. If I destroy her wand, then perhaps we can kill Bellatrix. If I keep her wand, she might stay alive."

"And she would get it from you somehow. _If_ Bellatrix is the one behind all the death eater attacks."

"It has to be her, Harry."

"Or, it could be Voldemort. Or it could be Lucius Malfoy. Or it could be Roldolphus or Rabastan LeStrange. Boy, I wish I could get my hands on Draco Malfoy. He'd be the perfect person to spill the beans."

Hermione's eyes brightened. "Do you think so?"

"Well, he's there, he's got to know what's going on. I wonder if he'd pass on information to us?"

 _Harry was coming back_. Hermione smiled.

"Well, as a matter of fact," she began, but was quickly interrupted.

"Hermione, you're home! Where have you been? Are you staying for dinner?" It was Mrs. Weasley. Hermione gave Molly a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Ron and Ginny came in with baby Teddy.

"Hermione, you're back! Here, take Teddy for a minute."

"No, Molly. I'm leaving again, but I will be back soon. I'm on a little mission that I'll tell you about next time. Thanks for the dinner invite, but I'm in a rush. I'm going to Hogwarts! Hi, Ron! Hi, Ginny!" She placed a kiss on the baby's forehead. "I'll play with Teddy when I get back."

Harry watched Hermione while she entered the floo and exited Grimmauld Place, calling out, "Hogsmeade!" She was up to something, and he was curious to know what it could be.

"Figures," Ron said. "She's probably going to the library."

* * *

Hermione spent two hours in the Hogwarts library. It was empty since no school was in session and even quieter than usual. She sniffed the calming, musty air of parchment, ink, and leather. Books smelled lovely to her; she adored bookstores, but this library felt like home. Hermione had invented a spell for research. It was delightful because it took her right to the book or books she needed. It was a variation of the _accio_ spell. Hermione used it like a muggle search engine on the computer. If the books she needed were not in the Hogwarts library, her wand would name another library that would help. Once the spell even referenced the Malfoy library. As much as she hated the thought of ever going back to that horrid place, she might, even in this dangerous time, be tempted to visit the Malfoy library. Today Hermione researched legilimency, wands, defensive spells during legilimency, and the power of the mind. What she found reassured her. Draco Malfoy should not be able to harm her if she entered his mind, according to _The Art and Craft of Legilimency Through the Ages_ by Woodwright Plusher.

* * *

" _Legilimens_ ," Hermione whispered and she stepped into Draco Malfoy's cold grey eyes. She had practiced this with Ron and Harry and knew that there should be a sifting of memories for her to peruse. She should see moving pictures and be able to select the memory she wanted to visit.

Hermione found herself in a long dark hallway. The walls were tall and impenetrable. She reached out to touch them. The walls were of stone; not small stones piled together like a rock wall, but smooth continuous stone like unpolished marble. There were no doors. There were no memories. She began to run through Draco Malfoy's mind, looking for something, anything that could prove Malfoy's identity. _Hogwarts?_ _Malfoy Manor?_ _Snape?_ Nothing.

The hallway branched, and she turned right. She could glimpse a door, so ran toward it. It opened easily, but behind the door was...nothing. Just empty gray space. She stepped back into the hallway and closed the door. At the top of the wall, she noticed a crack. Light shone through. Perhaps his memories were behind that wall, trying to burst through. She followed the crack in the wall, hoping that it would grow larger or lower so she could see through it to the other side. At last, she found a spot near the top of her head. She took a breath and stepped toward the open spot in the wall. It was a little high, so she stood on tiptoe and craned her neck to see.

Colors and lights moved about, but there was nothing definable to see. Perhaps his memories were veiled. Was this what an imperiused mind looked like from the inside? She strained to see. Could those colors and shapes be the color and shapes of Hogwarts? Could that blur be Diagon Alley?

Suddenly, a clearly defined face appeared, cruel but beautiful. One dark eye met Hermione's dark eye. Hermione gasped and pulled away, but not before a hand broke through the crack to grab her throat. It was Bellatrix's hand. Hermione jerked away and began to run. Terror filled her. She ran and ran, but her legs grew heavy, just like in her nightmares. She was losing air, losing energy, losing strength. Wasn't there a turn somewhere near here? Hermione kept pushing herself to lift her legs, to run away from evil Bellatrix LeStrange. _Dead end_. She whirled around to see a cackling Bellatrix.

"It's the Mudblood," she shrieked. "With _my_ wand. Give me my wand, _Mudblood."_

Hermione shook her head. "Never." Her voice was shakier than she would have liked, but she stood in a stance ready to attack with Bellatrix's wand in her hand.

"Hex me all you want," Bellatrix sneered. "You won't ever harm me. You won't ever get away from me."

Hermione struggled to breathe. She choked, coughed, gasped for air.

Bellatrix waved her hand with a shriek. And then the walls began to cave in, crushing Hermione below.


	7. Chapter Seven: You've Done Your Part

_JK Rowling owns the rights._

 _Thanks for your reviews!_

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Seven: _You've Done Your Part_

Hermione sat up with a gasp. She inhaled deeply, panting as though out of breath, and she opened her eyes. The bedroom was unfamiliar and smelled of lavender. Her legs were covered with a beautiful lilac quilt. Both Minerva McGonagall and Andromeda Tonks were standing at her bedside with worried expressions. They glanced at each other in relief when Hermione spoke.

"I couldn't see any of Malfoy's memories. They were all blocked. I passed out when Bellatrix attacked me. Why was Bellatrix there anyway? What is she doing in Malfoy's mind? Was it really her or was it my imagination? Is this what an Imperiused mind looks like on the inside? How is Malfoy, by the way?"

"Indeed, Miss Granger," began Professor McGonagall with a slight frown. "I begin to believe that you think entirely too much about that young man. Andromeda tells me that he tried to _murder_ you _three_ times today." She sounded shocked, as if it were too much for her to believe.

"It wasn't him; it was Bellatrix, Professor McGonagall. She is inside his mind, controlling him. We have to set him free."

"But child," Andromeda leaned forward to lock eyes with Hermione. "It can't be you that sets him free. You are the one who triggers the spell. I think we need to get you out of here."

"You have done your part," agreed Minerva. "You captured Mr. Malfoy and in a sense, prevented him from committing any dastardly acts. I think he needs more help that we are able to give in order to be set free from the curse."

Disappointment surged through Hermione, but she nodded calmly. "You're right, Professor McGonagall. I could be making things worse instead of better. Who are you thinking of asking for help?"

"I am going to start with the Interim Minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt. He needs to know what is going on in my little cottage."

Hermione gasped. "But the Ministry is controlled by _You Know Who,_ and the Order is likely to kill Malfoy! The attempts he has made on my life today are worthy of Azkaban! He needs help from...St. Mungo's or at least a very experienced curse breaker...or a wizarding psychiatrist."

"We will take this into consideration, Miss Granger. And Mr. Malfoy's aunt will look out for his best interest."

Hermione looked gratefully at Andromeda Tonks. "Thank you, Andromeda. Professor, may I see Malfoy before I leave?"

"I do not think it is wise, child."

"No, maybe not, but there shan't be any trouble if Malfoy is petrified."

"I'll go with her," Andromeda volunteered. Hermione gave Andromeda a grateful smile. Andromeda raised her brow at Minerva and then shot a smile back at Hermione.

When Hermione felt sufficiently recovered, she walked dejectedly down two flights of stairs to the basement. Her mission had failed. She could not speak with Draco Malfoy; she couldn't even rescue him from the curse he appeared to be under. She gazed at Draco Malfoy, frozen solid, stiff as a board. Hermione stepped up to him and touched his cold hand. She really wished that she could have seen inside his mind, found the memories that she shared with him. Then she would have known that Draco Malfoy was really there.

"Malfoy," she began. "I have to leave. Professor McGonagall and your Aunt Andromeda are going to get help for you. But I want you to know that I am not angry. I know that you are under a curse right now. What I want you to remember is that I believe in your goodness."

She imagined a sneer on Draco Malfoy's face. "Well, you might not think you have goodness inside you, but I have seen it." She pictured the agony on his face while Bellatrix tortured her. "Glimpses of it, anyway. I want you to fight the dark and choose the light. Live a life worthwhile, Malfoy. Do not end up in Azkaban, _please._ Remember that Hermione Granger believes there is goodness inside you. _"_

She searched his immobile face for a change, a tear, any sign that he heard her, but there was nothing. Hopefully, he would hear her words, remember, and think about them.

"Good-bye, Draco Malfoy," she whispered to the still form before her.

Hermione flooed from McGonagall's Cottage to Hogwarts and from there, walked to to Hogsmeade to apparate to Grimmauld Place. She was emotionally and physically drained. It was hard to believe that all this had happened in just one day. She had captured Malfoy. He had attacked her. She had seen his teardrop and tried to use Legilimency to see inside his mind. Bellatrix had attacked her. Hermione had lost her chance to help, but had left Malfoy in good hands, she hoped.

"Harry and Ron," she began when she stumbled into the kitchen, "I have something important to tell you."

"Okay, Hermione, let's go upstairs then," said Harry.

"Can't it wait until after dinner?" asked Ron.

Hermione gave him a hard stare.

"Right," said Ron, eyeing the food assembling in the kitchen. "Let's talk before dinner."

The two boys jogged up the stairs and flopped on their beds. Hermione closed the door and turned to face her friends. She wasn't sure how they would take this.

"Well, today was an eventful day," she began. "I kidnapped Draco Malfoy."

Harry's jaw dropped. Ron cackled with glee.

"Brilliant, Hermione!" Ron laughed. "I bet that ferret never knew what hit him! Lead me to him! I can't wait to make him pay!"

"Make him pay?" frowned Hermione. "What do you mean by that?"

"Make him pay for being a Death Eater, of course, and letting Death Eaters into Hogwarts. The fool!" crowed Ron.

"Hermione, how did you capture Draco Malfoy?" asked Harry. "And why?"

"Here's why, Harry: _What on earth is happening in the enemy camp?_ It's driving me batty! These attacks on Muggles and Wizards have to cease. Hogwarts won't be able to re-open. The Ministry will collapse. What will happen to St. Mungo's or Diagon Alley? We need information so we can put a stop to it all before this society is completely destroyed. Draco Malfoy should know, right? I brought him to a safe house to get information from him."

"And did you get it?"

"No," Hermione sighed. "He's under some kind of spell or curse. I couldn't get anything out of him."

"Let me at him!" grinned Ron. "I'll pry information out of Malfoy piece by piece."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Ron. "What do you mean by that, Ron? Are you advocating torture?"

"Seriously, Hermione, this is war. You have an enemy combatant with information. This is what people do in war."

"Over my dead body, Ron Weasley. Draco Malfoy has been through enough torture. We are not going to participate in schemes that the dark side uses. We are going to treat our prisoner humanely."

"Okay, then. Throw him in Azkaban. That's what he deserves."

"Wait a minute, Ron. Hermione has a point. Let's hear her plan," Harry interjected.

Hermione frowned. "Well, my plan didn't actually work. I captured Malfoy, but I didn't expect him to be cursed. We can't interrogate him until the curse is broken. Then he must be free to give any information he wants. We will not force it out of him."

"Why were you here earlier asking about Bellatrix's wand?"

"Well, it seems that Bellatrix is alive. Her wand may be a horocrux, Harry. Andromeda thinks that she has sent Malfoy to get her wand back from me. So, I need to destroy it with a basilisk fang. I need you two to help me."

"Why do you need our help for that, Hermione? Does it have some kind of hold over you?" asked Harry curiously.

"Yes. Yes, it does. I may not be able to destroy it. So I need you to help me."

"If Voldemort and Bellatrix are alive, they must be weak. We saw them die two weeks ago. They can't have regained their power yet. If we could gain access to them, we could take them down easily," Ron contributed. Hermione looked at him with approval.

"That's what I was thinking too," she agreed.

"So, I want to hear the story about Hermione Granger single handedly capturing Death Eater Draco Malfoy," said Harry with a grin. Hermione grinned back and settled herself next to Ron on the bed. Ron scooted away to give her more room.

"Well, I sent Malfoy an owl asking him to meet me at the Shrieking Shack. I expected he would try to disarm me so I brought a back-up wand."

"Bellatrix's wand."

"Yes, her wand. Well, I didn't expect him to try to ..." Hermione faltered. She wasn't sure if she should tell them this part.

"Try what?"

"Try to hex me. I activated a port key and stunned him so I could properly bind him."

Her disappointment was evident. She really hadn't thought things would turn out so badly.

"You said he was cursed. What did you mean by that?"

"Oh. Well. Yes. He tried several times to kill me." Hermione said in a rush.

"What? Let me at him! That foul fiend of a ferret!" Ron was furious.

"No, Ron. No one is going to hurt Draco Malfoy. He has been through enough already."

"Unbelievable," muttered Ron angrily. He stood up and began pacing.

Harry looked at her curiously. "What exactly has the Malfoy git been through, Hermione, that the rest of us can't understand?"

"Malfoy hasn't had a chance to choose for himself, Harry. He's been forced to do these terrible things either from threats to his family or from curses controlling him. We need to free him from this curse and see what he has to say. It could be that he doesn't want to be a part of the Dark side."

"And you know this, how?"

Again, Hermione felt that frustration and embarrassment well up in her. She had no proof. She had had no conversations with Malfoy. She could be entirely wrong. This could be a plot she was writing in her own head. But then she remembered Draco's tear. The vision of Draco's tear sliding down his cheek strengthened her conviction, and she stubbornly clenched her jaw.

Harry stared at her mutinous look with raised eyebrows.

"Well, let's destroy this wand, Hermione, and then you can take us to him."

" _No_. I mean, yes, let's destroy the wand, but I can't take you to him. He is too dangerous right now. I don't want him to do anything that will land him in Azkaban. And I don't want him hurt either. You will need to wait until he is released from this curse. Kingsley Shacklebolt is on it right now."

Harry looked relieved that someone trustworthy and accomplished was involved and nodded his head, but Ron glared suspiciously at Hermione.

"You don't want to take us to Malfoy? Why not?"

"I have just explained my reasons, Ron. It would be too dangerous for Malfoy and for you."

"But not too dangerous for you? Why are _you_ protecting _him?_ He doesn't deserve your protection, Hermione. He deserves torture and Azkaban. What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that Draco Malfoy needs a second chance. He could be key to ending this war if we treat him right."

"I'm thinking that you have a _crush_ on Draco Malfoy. I'm thinking that you _fancy_ the ferret. You want to be with him, but you don't want _us_ to be near him."

"Ronald Weasley!" Hermione bit out furiously. She stood up to and glared up into Ron's face. "How dare you?"

Harry looked from one glaring face to the other. He was in the uncomfortable position of seeing both sides of the argument.

"Ron, Hermione had an idea and carried it out brilliantly-although it easily could have gone wrong-please, don't do something like this alone ever again, Hermione. But, Ron, like I said, she has a plan. I say we go with the plan and do what we can to help. She doesn't want us near Malfoy, so let's help with Bellatrix's wand."

Both Ron and Hermione relaxed at Harry's words although their glares did not.

"Thank you, Harry," Hermione said gratefully. Ron glowered as they stood and went downstairs to dinner. He followed the two, muttering under his breath.


	8. Chapter Eight: Destroying Evil

_The Golden Trio is back! Thank you, JK Rowling, for creating and sharing the Trio with us._

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Eight: _Destroying Evil_

"Come on, Hermione, stop lagging behind," Ron challenged. Harry looked back at Hermione curiously. Usually, she was the one forging ahead. Indecision held her back. Or was it something else?

"Does this look like a decent place?" Harry asked Hermione. She surveyed the woods not too far from the where the Burrow used to be. The Weasleys had plans to rebuild, but of course, wanted to wait until the war was over before beginning their endeavor.

"No, I think a spot that's more open. We don't want any trees catching fire or anything."

Harry raised his eyebrows. Hermione had nixed the swamp. The fields were no good. It couldn't be near the burned remains of the house. Now it couldn't be near trees. None of the other horocruxes had caught fire when destroyed. _What was Hermione thinking?_ They trudged on through the woods looking for a break in the foliage.

"Should we head back to the swamp?" Ron asked. Hermione shook her head.

"Too near to the location of the house. I want it far away from where you rebuild. I want to bury this thing where no one will ever find it, but away from water or things that could carry any traces of evil back."

"Maybe we should try a nuclear waste disposal facility," Harry joked. Hermione caught his smile.

"Now you're talking!" she grinned back at Harry.

Ron shrugged and shook his head. "Muggle joke?" he guessed.

"Mmhmm," Hermione agreed. Then she stopped. "How about this spot? Is there any water around?"

The spot looked fairly dry. It was past the woods. You could not see the Burrow or the fields nearby. No streams, no trees, no greenery, just heather and spiky shrubs. Hermione found a rock and sat down. She hunted in her extendable bag for gloves and the last basilisk fang. It was concealed inside a metal case, carefully wrapped in leather and plastic. Hermione put on her gloves and examined the fang closely to see that none of the poison had leaked out. Taking a deep breath, she next pulled out Bellatrix's wand.

"The wand is so thin, Harry and Ron. Where should I stab it?"

"The handle is thicker. Why not try there?" suggested Harry.

"Start there and work your way down to the tip. Get it all!" encouraged Ron.

"Yes, that makes sense." Hermione was ready. She was prepared. Her gloves were on. She placed the wand on the rock where she had been sitting and lifted the basilisk fang again. She stood poised to jam the fang into the wand, but didn't move.

"Hermione?"

"Yes, just a minute, I'm almost ready."

 _Almost ready?_ Harry shot a look at Ron, and they waited patiently. After awhile, Hermione spoke softly.

"It's kind of like jumping into the water off a high cliff. It's scary. Even if you know in your mind that it's safe, your body just doesn't let you jump."

Harry and Ron glanced at each other.

"So, how is this hard for you, exactly? Shouldn't you feel _safer_ knowing the wand is destroyed?" asked Ron with his eyes narrowed.

"Right. Yes. Of course," Hermione stalled.

"Do you want help?"

"No, no, I can do it. Really."

They waited.

"I can do it for you," offered Harry. He waited for her answer and watched her closely.

"NO! I mean, no, thanks, Harry. This is something I have to do myself."

"Does it feel like you will be destroying a part of yourself, Hermione?" asked Harry.

She looked at him gratefully. "Yes, I suppose so. I don't know why it's so hard. My mind knows destroying Bellatrix's wand is the right thing to do, but my body feels like I need to protect it."

Harry put his hand on Hermione's. She did not pull away. "This wand is not you, Hermione. This wand is Bellatrix. We need it to be destroyed, Hermione. For the cause. For the war. For the safety of others. For freedom from fear and evil. It has to go. Let's do it together."

"Okay. Right. You _are_ right, Harry. I know you are, but I just can't do this myself. Ron, do you want to join us?"

"Absolutely!"

In the end, it was Ron's enthusiasm that forced the basilisk fang down into the handle of the wand. It was Harry's support that steadied Hermione's hand and drew it down the middle of the wand. It was Hermione's grim determination that kept the fang piercing the dark wand until they reached the tip. The wand shimmered, glowed, threw a spark or two, and then began to melt on the rock. Hermione began to cry. Her friends encircled her in their arms and patted her back. She sniffled and wiped her eyes, smiling up at the boys with a shaky grin.

"That was _so_ hard! I didn't think it would be _so_ difficult. Thanks, both of you, for helping me. I know I couldn't have done it alone. Do you think it _was_ a horocrux then, since it melted and all?"

"Looks like it," Ron said as he gestured toward the slime on the rock. "What are we going to do with the leftovers?"

"I don't think it should be left out in the open. Let's dig a hole and bury the rock."

"Hermione, we didn't bring a shovel. Unless you packed one in your bag."

"Are we not wizards? Come on, boys! Transfigure a stick or something!"

With three shovels in hand, the trio began digging. After a huge hole was dug, they rolled the rock into it, so it faced the earth. Then they covered it up.

"Wait a minute. Why are we working this hard? There should be a spell for this!" panted Ron, dripping with sweat.

Hermione stopped and laughed. "Oh, yes, there is! You are so right, Ron! I totally forgot! We could have used _Infodio!"_

She felt lighter and happier. One more bit of evil in the world was gone. Absent. Deprived of its power to harm others. They were one step closer to defeating Bellatrix and learning if Voldemort were still alive. Her tears were gone, and her eyes shone again at her friends. Hermione felt free. But she did feel as if something was missing.

The darkness shrouding her mind was gone. And she missed it.


	9. Chapter Nine: Memories

_As of today, the 29th of July, Chapter 9 has 9 favorites and 19 reviews! Thank you!_

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Nine: _Memories_

When Andromeda Tonks arrived at 12 Grimmauld Place with little Teddy Lupin, Ginny Weasley came to life. She jumped from the couch to greet Andromeda and take the baby from her arms. She lifted herself out of listlessness whenever Teddy arrived. Molly Weasley was the same way. Molly turned to caring for her large family and getting the food on the table for her loved ones. Mr. Weasley carried on at the Ministry. This made sense to Hermione. She was mourning too, but she needed to stay active. Her energy level generally conflicted with the rest of the residents at 12 Grimmauld Place, especially Harry's and Ron's. Hermione glanced at Andromeda from her comfortable chair, laid down her research, and leapt to feet to give the woman a warm hug.

"Andromeda..."

"Hermione..."

Both women spoke at the same time; they then smiled at each other.

"I need to speak with you, Hermione," Andromeda began.

"Of course. Come to my room, Andromeda." Hermione led the way to the bedroom she shared with Ginny. It was a small room with one small window, but very private once Hermione had locked the door and cast a silencing charm. If Fred were alive, she didn't think her private conversation would be safe from prying ears, but now that he was gone, George didn't seem to have the energy to pursue his trickery.

"I wanted to fill you in on Draco's condition," stated Andromeda.

"Are they treating Malfoy well? Is the curse gone?"

"Yes to both questions." Andromeda smiled at Hermione's obvious relief. "However, the healers are having trouble restoring Draco's memories, specifically, his memories of you, Hermione. They can't locate memories of you at all."

Hermione's heart dropped. If Malfoy had no memory of her... then he would have no feelings toward her at all... _wait, stop...Feelings toward her?_ Hermione swallowed bravely. "Does it matter if he has no memories of me? None of them were good memories. It might be better for him in the long run."

"Well, it might help if the Healers knew what they were looking for. Can you bottle up a few memories of interactions between you and Draco for the Healers?"

"I suppose. Will Malfoy be seeing these?"

"I don't know," Andromeda responded honestly.

Hermione hesitated. Some of these memories were precious to her in a weird way. She didn't want to share them with strangers or even with Malfoy if he couldn't remember her at all. After a few minutes of thought, honesty and the desire to do right prevailed. Hermione took her wand, made a copy of a memory and pulled it out of her head. She fed the blue liquid into the vial that Andromeda held out and labeled it with her wand: _Hermione Granger at Malfoy Manor._

This memory of Draco Malfoy first lying about who they were when the Snatchers had brought Harry, Ron, and Hermione to the Manor, then Malfoy doing nothing when Bellatrix LeStrange lifted her wand against Hermione, and finally, Malfoy clearly falling apart while Hermione was tortured was the memory that should save him from Azkaban. It showed that he was conflicted about his role as a Death Eater, but powerless to stand against his own flesh and blood. It was this experience that had made Hermione change her mind about Draco Malfoy. Yes, he had been a bully and a prat throughout school, but he had not been a killer. The one person who had made her feel safe, given her reassurance during that nightmare experience at Malfoy Manor was Draco Malfoy. During that time of torture, Hermione had trusted Draco Malfoy; he would keep her safe if he could. When their eyes met between Hermione's screams, a bonding of some sort was forged. Hermione's hand shook as she added the date to the vial holding one of her most precious memories.

The other memories were brief: glares at one another across the Great Hall during meal time or across from class during Potions. There was the memory of Malfoy being mauled by the Hippograff, the memory of her throwing a punch at him. There were the taunts in the Hallway, the dueling with hexes, the time Moody turned Malfoy into a ferret. There was the strange look in his eye when Hermione appeared at the Yule Ball with Viktor Krum at her side. She wasn't sure that she should include that memory, but vanity made her want Draco Malfoy to know that she cleaned up nicely in case he saw these. _Wait, why should she even care?_ Hermione shook her head and quickly labeled this second vial.

"Here you go," Hermione said nervously. "I hope these help. Do you need memories from Harry or Ron?"

"No, I don't think so," Andromeda looked faintly ill. "I think we found quite a few memories of both Harry and Ron."

" _We?"_ Hermione looked up with interest. Was Andromeda helping with Malfoy's memory restoration? If this was successful, perhaps Andromeda could help Hermone restore her parents' memories. Assuming, Hermione could locate them, that is.

"Yes," Andromeda looked uncomfortable. "I am helping, because I can determine which memories are true and which are false. Bellatrix planted memories that can't possibly be true."

"Really? What memories did she plant?" asked Hermione curiously.

"Well, memories of Draco's child hood that absolutely could not be true. Narcissa would never permit Bellatrix to harm Draco like that..." Andromeda looked sick and worried. "Then there is this spectacularly gruesome memory of Harry slicing Draco up and leaving him on a bathroom floor drowning in blood."

"Andromeda..." began Hermione. "Andromeda, that memory is true. It really did happen. Surely Malfoy has a scar to prove it."

"Harry Potter? Harry would never harm a schoolmate like that. Not the Harry Potter I know."

"Well, our Harry did. There has always been animosity between Harry and Malfoy. I know it's not right, but it did happen, and Harry regretted using that spell. Harry used a spell that he found in Snape's Potion book without knowing what it would do." Hermione felt strange justifying Harry's actions to Andromeda when she had been the one to rant against Harry's lack of foresight at the time.

"I just can't believe something like that happened at Hogwarts. Why wasn't Harry expelled for that?" Andromeda was clearly shaken.

"Snape covered it up. Snape and Dumbledore wanted Harry around to defeat Voldemort. I know it's not right, but it is what happened."

Andromeda sighed. "Then, do you think the abuse Draco suffered at the hand of my sister Bellatrix is real as well?"

"I don't know about that. Perhaps Narcissa would be able to confirm."

"She can't know about it, or Bellatrix would be dead right now."

Hermione's head turned quickly at Andromeda's words. This was key. "Andromeda, I need a copy of that memory. Can you bring me a vial tomorrow?"

Andromeda was doubtful. "I am not sure it is a real memory, Hermione."

"It must be real. Why would Bellatrix plant a memory that would get her killed by her own sister? Please bring it if you can."

"Well, I suppose Draco will have to give consent."

"If he doesn't give consent, then please let me visit him! If I ask Malfoy myself, I think he would let me have it." _Why on earth did she think that? Why did she think that she could sway Malfoy, Draco Malfoy who didn't even remember her?_

Andromeda looked as if visiting her nephew would be an unlikely event in the near future. "I will speak to the Healers, Hermione. Thank you for your help."

"Wait-don't leave, Andromeda. I just thought of something important. If you can see Malfoy's memories, then can you see who the Death Eater leader is? Is it Voldemort? Bellatrix? Can you tell if they are alive?"

"No. We have tried, but we come against a giant wall whenever we try to pursue that avenue. Draco's childhood and Hogwarts schoolyears are less guarded."

Both women rose and left the bedroom. Hermione was exhausted from reliving each of the memories with Draco Malfoy, but joined Ginny to see if she needed help with little Teddy Lupin. When she joined her friends, it was Harry who was holding the baby. He had tears in his eyes again, and Hermione gave a sigh to see his sadness. She and Ron sat on either side of Harry, trying to be pillars of strength for their friend. Andromeda kissed her grandson and departed to begin her shift at McGonagall's cottage.


	10. Chapter Ten: Meeting Draco Malfoy

_And now...the moment we've all been waiting for...Enter Draco Malfoy._

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Ten: _Meeting Draco Malfoy_

Before she left Grimmauld Place, Hermione selected her clothes carefully and did her best to tame her bushy hair. She added a little eye make-up too, feeling slightly hypocritical for caring about her appearance since she didn't usually bother, but she did want Malfoy to have a good first impression of her. Essentially, today would be the first time Malfoy would meet Hermione since his memories of her had apparently been obliviated. He wouldn't remember her beaver teeth or bushy hair. He wouldn't remember their nasty comments and glares. Hermione was very curious to observe his reaction to her. Would he be cold toward someone he had never met before? Would he be polite? How much of their previous relationship (if one could call hexing and name-calling a relationship) was based on habit? Maybe Malfoy treated all enemies the same way. She felt nervous because this meeting was like a chance to start over, and she wanted it to take a positive turn. For the sake of the war, of course.

"I'm off to Hogwarts," Hermione announced to Harry, Ginny, and Ron at breakfast.

"You look nice, Hermione," Ginny complimented her. "I love that color on you, and your hair looks very pretty."

"Only Hogwarts?" Harry inquired. Hermione shot him a sharp glance.

"No," she said slowly. "I'm meeting Malfoy today."

"What?" Ron exploded. "I can't believe this! You're fixing yourself up to meet someone who is out to _kill_ you? Why would you want to spend time with that bloody git? Stay away from him, Hermione, _please._ "

"Ron, he may share valuable information with me. I have to try. Kingsley asked me to try." Hermione sighed patiently.

"He tried to kill you."

"He was cursed. That curse has been lifted."

"You can't trust him. He'll feed you lies."

"That's for Kingsley to determine."

"You _want_ to see the prat. You _want_ to spend time with the ferret."

"Yes, I do. He may have answers that help us win the war."

Ron sneered in an ugly way, "You just want to..."

"Well, good luck to you, Hermione," interrupted Harry. "I would like to visit Malfoy too if he'll see me."

Hermione looked gratefully at Harry and paused on her way to the floo to give him a hug. "I will ask. Thanks, Harry. Bye, Ginny. Bye, Ron."

As she walked up the hill from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts, Hermione's lips trembled. Ron was not his warm funny self at all. He was acting jealous and hateful. It hurt. She felt sad for him because if he wanted to begin a relationship, this was not the way to go about it. All those years of hoping that Ron would finally like her, and it had to happen like this? The warmth they had experienced during their kiss at the end of the Battle at Hogwarts had faded a bit during the Weasley family's mourning for Fred. And now their "relationship" seemed dead. Hermione had thought that grieving would bring the two of them together, but instead she had been alienated. Her mind went back to those uncomfortable months in the tent with Ron. Maybe the locket hadn't _caused_ those horrid feelings of jealousy and twisted mind games. Maybe the locket had just _revealed_ what was hiding inside each one of them. She shook her head. _Horrible thought._

Before flooing from Professor McGonagall's office at Hogwarts to Professor McGonagall's cottage, Hermione prepared her mind for what was ahead. She needed to be calm and have her wits about her. Foremost, she needed to build trust with a complete stranger. Not an easy task. Hermione straightened her shoulders and stepped back into the floo.

"Professor McGonagall's cottage!" she called out and was whisked away.

"Miss Granger!" greeted McGonagall warmly as Hermione stepped out of the floo, brushing ash off her sleeve. Kingsley Shacklebolt was at her side, as well as Arthur Weasley. Hermione felt surprised to see Mr. Weasley, but smiled back when he grinned at her.

"Is Andromeda here?" Hermione asked.

"No, she is home with Teddy today. She will be with you here tomorrow," McGonagall stated.

Hermione was relieved that this wasn't just a one-time deal. If she were successful today, there would be another meeting with Malfoy tomorrow.

"Now, Miss Granger, today we would like you to introduce yourself and begin to build trust with Mr. Malfoy," Kingsley began. Hermione nodded. That was her plan as well.

"Has Malfoy been shown any of my memories?" Hermione inquired.

Kingsley Shacklebolt shook his head. "No, we wanted this meeting to be free from prejudice."

"Malfoy doesn't know I am a Muggleborn witch?" This did not sit comfortably with her.

"No, we would like you to establish trust without that factor."

 _Build trust on a lie?_ Hermione did not like that idea at all.

"Alright," she began slowly. "I will try my best, but do I have the freedom to be open and honest about it if I feel that it would help?"

Malfoy would see right through any attempts to lie. He wouldn't accept anything but brutal honesty from her. _Wait. How did she know that about him?_ Her imagination was working overtime again!

Kingsley glanced at Professor McGonagall and Arthur Weasley. "What do you think? Should Hermione have free rein? Or should she be required to follow our instructions?"

"We are asking her to build trust, to build a relationship with... _Draco Malfoy_ ," Professor McGonagall said the name with distaste, "I think Miss Granger needs to follow her instincts."

Arthur Weasley nodded. "I trust my girl. She brought the boy to us. Let her do her magic."

"So be it," Kingsley Shacklebolt intoned.

Hermione grinned in relief at the three of them. She was not good at deception, and how on earth could one possibly practice deception while attempting to build trust? She was no Slytherin. She took a breath and prayed that Merlin would bless this conversation with Malfoy. If only they could get the information they needed about the Death Eaters and their leader. If only this war could be ended forever!

"I'm ready," she announced bravely.

As Professor McGonagall led Hermione through the cottage, Hermione caught sight of several aurors discreetly standing on guard. The Professor ventured not to the basement, but rather to a bedroom upstairs. Hermione was very glad that Malfoy had apparently been treated like a guest rather than a prisoner. Professor McGonagall opened the door. Malfoy was sitting in one of the wingback chairs by the window. Sunlight streaming in through the window made Malfoy's white blond hair glisten. He was gazing out the window, his profile lit by sunshine, but he turned when they entered the room. Hermione's breath caught as she realized that this was the moment she had been waiting for. This was her chance to finally talk to Draco Malfoy, to find out who Draco Malfoy really was.

"Mr. Malfoy, this is Hermione Granger. She is here to speak with you." The professor gave Malfoy a hard glance, made sure Hermione was comfortable in her chair, and then left, closing the door behind her.

The two appraised each other calmly. Gray eyes met brown. Hermione's eyes widened at the missing coldness. He wasn't sneering. His eyes were curious and unguarded. She had never seen him like that. _Was this Draco Malfoy?_ His eyes drifted over her slightly tamed brown locks and down her small frame. _That was more like it._ She waited for a sneer or a caustic remark about her appearance, but he said nothing.

"Who are you?" he finally asked. He was sitting stiffly in the wingback chair. Hermione noticed that his legs and arms were shackled. So much for being treated like a guest.

Hermione understood that he wanted to know more than just her name. She swallowed. "I'm Hermione Granger. I'm the reason why you are here, Malfoy. Did they tell you anything about me?"

He shook his head. Tears began to prickle in Hermione's eyes. _Was she mourning the loss of Malfoy's memories of her?_ _How silly._ She tried to cover her emotions with a laugh.

"Right then. We were in the same year at Hogwarts, Malfoy. I wanted to see you a few days ago, so you met me at the Shrieking Shack. I used a portkey to transport us here. Unfortunately, it seems that your _dear aunt_ has wiped me from your memory. She had also imperiused you to kill me."

Malfoy frowned.

"How would I know to kill you if my memories of you had been wiped? That doesn't make sense. My Aunt Bellatrix isn't _that_ smart. The Imperius curse uses memory."

Hermione was impressed. She herself had not made that connection. Then she realized that Malfoy spoke of Bellatrix in the present tense. _Bellatrix was alive._ She had an answer for Kingsley Shacklebolt. Hermione felt triumphant and lowered her eyes to hide her glee.

"I don't know, Malfoy. Perhaps your memories are still there, but hidden."

"Why would she want to hide my memories of you?" He stared at her brown curls and warm brown eyes and thought that he would like to find those memories. _They must be important memories,_ he reasoned and added aloud, "Why would she want to kill _you?_ "

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Who knows why that evil, demented witch does anything?"

Malfoy smiled cynically and thought of three reasons. He considered withholding his thoughts, but decided to share them to see her reaction. "Either you are a very powerful witch whom Bellatrix fears; or she wants revenge; or she discovered that I have a memory of you that she wants destroyed." Malfoy's eyes locked onto Hermione's, and she felt weak at the knees. Her breaths came more quickly.

"Tell me something," Malfoy continued. "Were we _friends_?" But the way he said it implied that he meant something more. He glanced over her appreciatively, and Hermione's eyes widened with shock.

"No." Hermione blushed, and then looked honestly into Malfoy's clear eyes. His silver eyes swirled with flecks of blue and green. She could drown happily in those un-shuttered, un-Malfoy-like eyes. She did not miss the hatred or superiority at all. "As I said, we fought on opposite sides of the war. We were enemies."

 _Were._ Draco Malfoy noted. Clearly she did not consider him her enemy now. _Why was that?_

"If we're enemies, why should I trust you?"

"I don't know, Malfoy-maybe because I want the best for you. I want you out of that nightmare. I want you to have a future outside of Azkaban." _Maybe because I trust you,_ she thought, but she was not brave enough to say it. She did not realize that her eyes spoke those words for her.

Draco felt oddly moved. Those were the words of a friend, not an enemy. _Future. Azkaban._ He blinked. Hers was the voice that had made him weep. He looked at her again with interest. Clearly, she had been an important person to him. What was their history? He felt a surge of affection toward her. _Why?_ Had he shagged her? Was it because she had rescued him from the hellhole that had been his home? Was it because she wanted him to have a future? His breath caught.

"Why do you care?" he asked roughly. _No one else does_ was left unsaid, but implied _._ It was a rather pathetic thing to say, but he was hoping to keep her talking, to hear her voice again. He tried to pull his cold mask over his face, but instead found himself suddenly fighting tears. He looked away, clenched his jaw and swallowed. He was barely holding in heavy emotions that he didn't even realize were there until this strange girl came to his room to talk.

"Malfoy, I was there," Hermione answered gently, somewhat shocked by his contorted face and the appearance of tears in his gray eyes. "At the Manor. I saw the conditions you lived in. You were placed in an impossible situation with the worst evil all around you. Yet you helped Harry. You helped me. You deserve a chance at life, don't you think? You don't deserve Azkaban like other Death Eaters." _Like his parents,_ she thought, but left that unsaid. "If you don't get out now, you will end up just like them."

He nodded. Couldn't argue there. He knew that he had been on a mission to kill. He knew that was what his aunt wanted from him. It _was_ a relief to be away from the Manor, although he worried about the safety of his mother. But _Harry. She mentioned Harry._ This witch was a friend of Harry Potter's. He felt distaste rise up in his mouth.

"What do you want from me?"

Hermione swallowed. "Information."

"You want me to sell out my _family_ , my _loyalties_? I couldn't tell you anything if I tried, I've been bonded to secrecy."

Hermione's face fell. Disappointment surged through her once more. _Get used to disappointment, Granger,_ she thought to herself.

Malfoy's eyes narrowed as he watched her. So, this was not about him and his future. Her concern was not genuine, then. This was about the war. She wanted him to betray his side. The two sat silently, looking warily at one another.

 _You give me something; I'll give you something_ , Malfoy thought about saying to her, but the fact of the matter was, he didn't know what he wanted from her. His freedom, of course, but he doubted she had that authority. What could he ask for? What could he tell her? The only thing she had to offer him was some kind of faith that he could be different and have a future, but he didn't know if that was reality or wishful thinking. And what did he, a Death Eater kid, have to offer her? _Not a thing_. What was it about Hermione Granger that made him emotional? He hated that she was seeing him weak. Tears came to his eyes again, so he closed them, scowled, and turned his face away from her, gritting his teeth. He took an unsteady breath. When he had blinked his eyes dry and turned back, she was gone. The room felt empty without her.


	11. Chapter Eleven: Interactions with Malfoy

_Thanks for the reviews! They have made me so happy. You are the best!_

 _All rights belong to JK Rowling._

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Eleven: _Interactions with Malfoy_

Hermione closed the door and leaned against it, breathing heavily. This was the Draco Malfoy she had been seeking-the Draco Malfoy whose tortured eyes pierced through the center of her being. When he crumbled like that, so did her distrust of him. Draco Malfoy was in pain; Hermione Granger was drawn to his suffering. And it wasn't fair that a person who was suffering should be chained to his chair. _Merlin! He couldn't even brush away his tears,_ Hermione fumed.

Hermione Granger stormed into Professor McGonagall's sitting room. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Professor McGonagall turned from their conversation, surprised by Hermione's irate expression.

" _Shackles_! You have Malfoy in _shackles!_ How can I build trust when he can't even move? I thought we had moved to a more humane way of treating our prisoners, but no, not a chance."

"It's for your safety, Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall reproved her. "We couldn't predict that he would treat you well; there may have been some remnants of the curse left."

"Oh," responded Hermione, deflated. "I'm sorry, of course, you were thinking of safety. Well, I hope that tomorrow when I return, Malfoy can come down to the sitting room to play chess or have snacks in the kitchen. We need to be more casual so the conversation isn't forced."

Mr. Weasley entered the room. "Well?" asked Arthur Weasley hopefully. "How was your meeting, Hermione? A bit shorter than expected, was it not?"

"Yes," agreed Hermione. "I had to cut it short because...Malfoy was starting to...break down. I knew he wouldn't want me to see him cry, so I left."

 _Cry?_

The jaws of Professor McGonagall, Mr. Weasley, and Interim Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt dropped open in astonishment. Hermione might have laughed, except that she felt the same way. _Astonished_.

"Did I hear you correctly?" Professor McGonagall began. "Mr. Malfoy showed...emotion?" She shook her head. Draco Malfoy had been sullen and uncommunicative during his entire stay-even with his Aunt Andromeda. Kingsley Shacklebolt raised his eyebrows and looked impressed. Arthur Weasley nodded his head.

"Excellent, my dear," Mr. Weasley smiled. "You are reaching young Mr. Malfoy already."

"Why did he cry, Miss Granger?" asked Professor McGonagall. "I assume he must be sorry for his part in the war?"

"I'm not sure, Professor McGonagall. I don't think even Malfoy knows the answer to that question. He is feeling something deeply."

"Yes, you are doing your job very well indeed, Hermione, my dear," enthused Mr. Weasley again.

Kingsley Shacklebolt broke in. "Were you able to obtain any useful information?"

"I think so," Hermione began dubiously. "I am pretty sure that Bellatrix is alive and that it was she who imperiused Draco to kill me. He didn't contradict any of my statements about Bellatrix, but didn't actually confirm them either. We didn't discuss Voldemort."

"Indeed? Did Mr. Malfoy cause any trouble? Did he treat you respectfully, Miss Granger?" inquired Professor McGonagall with concern.

"No trouble at all, Professor. No, Malfoy was fine. I ended our meeting because of his tears."

Hermione wished that Andromeda Tonks were here. She would understand.

* * *

The next day when Hermione entered Malfoy's private room at McGonagall's cottage, Draco was again shackled to the chair by the window. As he turned toward her, his mask was in place, his emotions carefully guarded. Hermione felt disappointment. Would she see the real Draco Malfoy today?

"Excuse me a moment, Malfoy," she said politely and left the room. Draco could hear raised voices in the other room. After a few minutes, the voices lowered to a murmur. He sighed, wondering what new torture the Order would come up with for him to undergo. Then he gave a self deprecating grin, as he realized that the Order didn't know the _meaning_ of torture. He actually had nothing to complain about. Hermione returned with an auror who lifted the shackles off Malfoy's hands and feet. Draco looked up in surprise and met Hermione's warm brown eyes.

"What, no thank you?" she smiled.

Draco Malfoy did not return the smile. He could not let his guard down like he had the day before. "I'm sure they'll think of something else to replace the shackles."

Her smile left for a moment. "No, they won't. Although, I did consider bringing my father's dental instruments. They can be very effective instruments of torture."

Malfoy looked confused. "What kind of instruments?"

"Never mind," Hermione stopped herself from saying _Muggle joke_ just in time. "Come on, let's go downstairs."

Malfoy reluctantly stood. "I'd really rather stay in here."

"We can come back if you wish. Let's just go to the kitchen and get something to eat first."

Disdain crossed his face, and Hermione belatedly realized that Malfoys don't enter the kitchens. She rolled her eyes.

"There are no house elves here, so we get our own food," she added. "I'm sure you could use a change of scenery for a moment. Let's go."

Malfoy still didn't move, so Hermione grabbed his hand and pulled him alongside her. She had to practically force him through the door. _Was Malfoy scared?_ There were two aurors standing outside the door. Hermione nodded and greeted them politely. As she and Malfoy stepped down the stairs, the two aurors followed.

Suddenly, Hermione realized that she was still holding Draco Malfoy's hand. His hand was warm and firm. Embarrassment tinged her cheeks and she dropped it immediately. But Draco Malfoy reached out for her hand again, encompassing hers with his. He pulled her closer to his side in the narrow hallway so his arm brushed against hers. Awareness of his presence shot up her hand and through her body, landing in her stomach. She turned her head to glance up at Malfoy, but he turned his head away. _Did he feel that connection too?_ She didn't think they had ever stood this close before. They had certainly never touched before.

It was a short walk to the kitchen and once there, Hermione tried to release Malfoy's hand, but he tightened his grip. She focused her attention on Andromeda who was bustling about the kitchen and stirring some soup. It smelled delicious.

"Hello, Andromeda. May we have a snack? I'd be happy to make it so I don't interrupt your work."

"Well, I am working on the next meal right now, but I can bring you up some tea in a minute."

"Thank you, Andromeda, but I can make it." Hermione pulled Malfoy over to the tea kettle and waved her wand over the it so the water boiled in less than a second. In ten seconds, the tea was ready. She foraged the cupboards and found some biscuits and cheese. This would do. She turned to Malfoy who stood at her side, watching closely.

"Do you want to have tea here in the kitchen or upstairs in your room?" she asked him quietly.

"Upstairs," Malfoy replied with an expressionless face. Hermione found that she could sense his feelings even though he was trying to hide behind his mask. Her lips twitched.

"I'll carry the tea, you carry the plates." Malfoy released her hand as she passed him the plates with biscuits and cheese. "Thank you, Andromeda, for letting us invade your space." Hermione gave Andromeda a warm smile.

Malfoy's eyes never left her face. He stepped aside to let Hermione leave the little kitchen and then glanced back at Andromeda. She was the very picture of a healthy, personable Bellatrix. Bellatrix-no, Andromeda- gave Malfoy a fleeting smile, and she turned to finish her work. So, this was the woman who had been cooking his food? She had also been one of the healers trying to invade his mind as well. She must be a relative, Malfoy realized.

"Are you my aunt?" he asked before he left.

"Oh, yes, I'm your disgraced aunt. You never knew me, because I was disinherited, cut off from the family. I told you all about it earlier, Draco, but maybe you don't remember since it was before the curse was lifted. I'll visit you again when Hermione leaves if you like."

"Yes," he said reluctantly. "Thank you."

Hermione had been waiting impatiently with the tea, but she beamed at his reply to his aunt. They headed back upstairs, followed by two aurors. Hermione chatted to the aurors behind them, apologizing for not making them tea too. They laughed and Draco was amazed at the absence of tension when Hermione Granger was around. Still, he felt relief when they entered his room and set up the tea on the table by the window.

"Andromeda is a wonderful person," Hermione told him confidentially. "She is your mother's sister, but when I first met her, she scared me to death because I thought she was Bellatrix."

"I can see that."

"There's no comparison between the two. Bellatrix is a monster and Andromeda is a sweetheart-well, she reminds me of Molly Weasley a bit."

Malfoy raised his brow and gave a disdainful twist to his mouth.

"Don't give me that look," Hermione ordered. "There is no better person than Molly Weasley. She holds that family together. She has made a warm, happy home. That's the kind of person that Andromeda is too, only she just lost her entire family."

"Really?" Draco Malfoy's curiosity was peaked.

"Snatchers killed Andromeda's husband Ted, and her daughter and son-in-law were killed in the Battle at Hogwarts. Her daughter was an auror, Nymphadora Tonks. She was married to Professor Lupin and was killed by Bellatrix. _Bellatrix murdered her own neice._ " Hermione's brown eyes met Malfoy's, and her eyes darkened. His eyebrows lifted at the force of her emotion. She leaned forward.

"I try not to hate people, Malfoy. Hate is evil and can destroy you from the inside out. But I do hate Bellatrix LeStrange for harming so many people, especially her own family. _I want to take her down_."

Malfoy nodded thoughtfully. His eyes left Hermione's and turned toward the window. Bellatrix was insane, a psychopath who loved nothing more than torturing her enemies, her family, even her own soldiers. He himself had experienced the end of her wand many times.

"Can you help me?"

Malfoy turned back to Hermione Granger. "No, I cannot tell you anything. I'm bound to secrecy as I told you before."

"But would you _help_ me take Bellatrix down?"

Malfoy stared at her. "I don't know. My mother is there, basically a prisoner in her own home. I can't put my mother in danger."

"You might be the person _saving_ your mother from danger."

"If I were to kill Bellatrix or even help to take her down, then every Death Eater would be at my throat ready to take _me_ down, including my own father."

Hermione nodded. That's what she had guessed. That's why Malfoy had not rescued her at Malfoy Manor. His hands had been tied. She mumbled something under her breath.

"I beg your pardon?" Malfoy asked with a frown. Hermione smiled at his manners. She had never seen them up close before because Malfoy had never bothered to be polite to her in the past. Then her smile faded as she remembered that Malfoy did not know she was a Muggleborn witch. His manners and relative openness might depart as soon as he learned her heritage. She might not have much time left before he realized the truth.

"What did you say?" Malfoy inquired again.

"I said that your hands were tied. At Malfoy Manor, your hands were tied. We need to find a way to untie your hands."

Malfoy lowered his eyes and gazed at his hands. They were unshackled. Hermione Granger had literally unbound his hands and legs. Now she wanted to release him figuratively so he could... _join the Order?_

"I can't join the Order," Malfoy said. "I don't believe in their cause. I can't fight against my family or friends."

"Snape did."

"What do you mean?" Malfoy's silver eyes drilled into hers with an intensity she had not thought possible. Was he using _legilimency_ on her? Immediately, Hermione lowered her eyes.

"Snape was playing both sides. He was a spy for the Order."

"But...Snape killed Dumbledore. He was loyal to the Dark Lord."

"He killed Dumbledore at _Dumbledore's_ command, not _Tom Riddle's_ ," Hermione spat out Voldemort's other name with derision. Malfoy's eyes widened. He remembered Harry Potter calling the Dark Lord _Tom_ with the same sort of Gryffindor fearlessness. Hermione continued, "Dumbledore was slowly dying, and he did not want Snape's role as a spy compromised. Snape gave his memories to Harry to prove that he was spying for the Order. Even though Harry hated Snape with a passion, Snape had been protecting Harry all along."

Malfoy gazed at Hermione Granger in shock. Her words could not be true.

"I don't believe you," he said. "I don't know who you are or how you think you know these things, but you are making this up. Snape was my godfather. I would know if this were true."

"It's true, Malfoy. You can trust me."

He shook his head. _A Malfoy trusts no one._

"Malfoy, this war is going to end eventually. If you don't switch sides, it will end very badly for you. You won't ever see your family or friends again because you will spend the rest of your life in Azkaban. How will you take care of your mother then?"

Malfoy gazed at Hermione Granger in bewilderment. His world was spinning around so that he actually felt dizzy. He realized that Hermione Granger was staring at him expectantly. Was he supposed to reply?

"Come back tomorrow," he muttered. "I need to think this over."

He had really never considered what might happen if the Dark Lord lost the war. He had never expected it to happen, but if what she was saying were true... no, it just couldn't be.

Hermione Granger beamed at him. Her smile warmed him. Then she said, "Can I stay for just a moment? I'd like to finish my tea."

Hermione waved her wand over the teakettle to reheat it and then poured more tea. As she nibbled on her biscuit and sipped her hot tea, she began chatting to Malfoy about Andromeda's baby grandson Teddy who was _Harry's_ godson and a metamorphmagus like his mother, Tonks. Professor Lupin was Teddy's father, and normally, Malfoy would have recoiled in disgust to think of a werewolf fathering a child, but instead Malfoy sat frozen and unmoving as if he were still shackled. His mind was spinning in so many directions that he could scarcely follow Hermione's conversation. She paused to give him a moment to reply, but he had nothing to say.

"Here, have a biscuit," she offered. Draco declined with a shake of his head. It was these little moments of kindness from...what? His enemy?...that brought tears to his eyes. If she only knew how close he was to breaking down, she would just leave him alone. _Go away, and leave me alone,_ he thought.

"All right, all right, I'm leaving. I'll leave you alone with your precious Malfoy self. And I'll see you tomorrow. Good-bye, Malfoy." Hermione Granger held out her hand.

Malfoy stood in shock and took her hand out of habit. It was a small, firm hand, just like Granger herself. His thumb moved gently over hers, and their eyes met in surprise. After Hermione Granger left, Draco Malfoy was still standing in a daze. _Had she just read his mind?_ No one, _no one_ ever read the mind of Draco Malfoy.


	12. Chapter Twelve:Confrontation with Malfoy

_And now... the argument you've all been waiting for!_

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Twelve: _Confrontation with Malfoy_

Hermione Granger thought the previous meeting with Malfoy had gone exceptionally well. They had had a productive conversation, and she hadn't had to resort to a game of chess. Malfoy had implicitly confirmed that Bellatrix was alive, possibly the new leader. She gave a copy of her memory of the conversation to the interim minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt and hoped that he would agree. Most important was that Malfoy was considering an alliance with the Order. Of course, she shouldn't get her hopes up, but he _was thinking_ it over, she knew. She and Malfoy were friendly, she had challenged him, and she hoped that trust was being established despite his skeptical nature. Then there was the hand-holding incident. She was not clear how she should interpret the unexpected feelings that came from holding hands with Malfoy. There wasn't really much to consider, except _possibilities._ There was a _possibility_ that Draco Malfoy might like her. There was the _possibility_ that she might like Draco Malfoy. She would not let herself think further until she knew him better.

Hermione rejoiced that his choice was so clear. _Freedom_ or _Bondage_? It was so clear in her mind. How could he not choose the right path? Of course, his dedication to his mother was a problem, but if Malfoy switched sides, the Order would almost certainly offer protection to his mother as well. She steadied her thoughts. She didn't really know what was going on inside of Malfoy, so she shouldn't get her hopes up. But her time with him _did_ make her hopeful. It was the first time _ever_ that the two had been friendly, and she liked it. She liked it very much. She liked holding his hand and making tea for him. Now _that_ Malfoy was a person she could be friends with. _More than friends?_ The thought came to her mind. _Too early to tell,_ she replied to herself sternly.

Hermione tried to plan the next meeting. Her goal was to get Malfoy to hand her his memories of Bellatrix's torture of him. She believed it was very important for both his eventual case before the Wizengamut and for ending this stupid war. Those memories could be the tipping point because they would infuriate Mother and Father Malfoy. The memories could become a weapon against Bellatrix. A very powerful weapon. Hermione was confident that she could persuade Draco Malfoy to give her those memories, if not today, then tomorrow. However long it took, she would wear him down with kindness until he gave her those memories.

Then she realized that he might never give her access to something so personal. Reality check. Of course, he wouldn't. He was a proud person, a private person; he would never permit her to see him at his weakest point. They could be humiliating, horrifying. Could she steal them? Andromeda had seen them. Could Andromeda steal them? It would normally be wrong to steal Malfoy's memories, but how about during a time of war? No, if she took his memories without permission, Malfoy would never trust her again. She couldn't do that to him, so she really should give up the entire idea. Hermione took a detour to the Hogwarts Library anyway to further research the topic: stealing memories.

An hour later, Hermione left the library discouraged. Yes, it might be possible to steal someone's memories, but not likely with Malfoy. He was accomplished at occlumency; hence the gray marble walls inside his mind which had prevented Hermione and his healers from seeing within. She wondered how Andromeda had seen the memories of Bellatrix's abuse of Malfoy and guessed that her resemblence to Bellatrix could have been the trigger. _Wait._ Could they take _Andromeda's_ memory of Malfoy's memory? It would not be as clear a copy, but it might do the trick. _Wait_. Would the same ethics; i.e., invasion of privacy, exist for Andromeda's memory of Malfoy's memory? Most likely she would still need Draco's consent. _Drat!_

When Hermione entered Malfoy's room, she gave him a bright smile, but it was not returned. Her spirits dimmed somewhat, but she stepped forward cheerfully, pulling some books from her bag.

"Here, Malfoy, these are for you."

"What are they?"

"Books I thought you might enjoy. Have you read _The Lord of the Rings_ by Tolkien?"

Malfoy shook his head. His eyes narrowed. "Are those _Muggle_ books?" he asked with a biting tone.

Hermione's good spirits wilted. _You didn't think that one through, Granger,_ she berated herself. After a steadying breath, she pinned his gaze with hers. "Yes," she said firmly.

"I don't read Muggle books."

"You should. Muggle literature is an ocean of depth and diversity. Muggles may not know magic, but they do know human nature and the human spirit. And they are amazing writers. These particular books are fantasy, a made up world with themes that are relevant to our situation, our times. That's what you can take from Muggle literature-you can learn about life from someone else's story."

Malfoy smiled at her passion, and she felt relief flow through her as she grinned back at him. But then he asked the dreaded question, "Are you a Muggle?"

Her smile faded. "I am a Muggleborn witch, yes."

Malfoy let that sink in and felt disappointment and loss deep within. He turned to gaze out the window. He felt that he had lost a friend. He felt betrayed by this person who smiled at him and warmed his heart. His anger grew when he thought of her holding his hand to pull him downstairs. She must have known his beliefs about purity, yet she had touched him. She had forced herself upon him, a _pureblood_ wizard, knowing full well that she was a _mudblood._ He turned icy silver eyes upon her and said bitingly, "You _lied_ to me."

Hermione Granger had been withdrawn, head bowed, waiting for his response, but at these words, her own rage burst out as if a dam was breaking. She met his gaze with burning eyes.

"I did no such thing! I did not lie to you! I said _nothing_ about blood status to you!"

"You were withholding the truth. You lied."

"It's called being friendly, Malfoy. This is how normal people treat each other. People who are _above prejudice_ treat each other well."

"You were friendly under false pretences. I would never have been _tolerant_ of your manipulative friendliness if I had known that you are a _Mudblood_."

Hermione shrieked in outrage. "And I would have never been _compassionate_ toward _you_ if I had realized you still held your wicked, medieval ideas of purity! How is it that I can clearly see _your_ side of the story, but you can't see _mine_? Do you think I _want_ to die at the hands of Death Eaters just because I am Muggleborn?"

Draco Malfoy froze at those words. Hermione continued her passionate rant.

"I thought you had changed! I _knew_ you had changed! That's why I wanted to meet with you, Malfoy, because I thought you felt differently. I thought we could work together, but now I see that it could never happen. _You_ would never permit it to happen. You're trapped, Malfoy. You are trapped in a false ideology that says one person is better than another. One person deserves to live and the other deserves to die. You will _never_ be free from Bellatrix or Voldemort if you can't let go of your twisted, evil _damned_ blood purity!"

"I don't need to worry about the Dark Lord. He's dead and gone. And I can take care of myself when it comes to Bellatrix. I can work my way up in status and keep my family safe. That's all that matters to me."

"Work your way up? By killing innocent people? By being cursed, enslaved by Bellatrix? By killing me? You would choose that path just because you wouldn't want to taint yourself with Muggleborn _friends_? I can't _believe_ that blood purity is so important to you! Well, you and your pure blood can rot in Azkaban for all I care, Malfoy. The sooner your precious lineage ends the better."

And with those words, Hermione Granger stormed out of the room and left the cottage.


	13. Chapter Thirteen: The Malfoy Debate

**The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Thirteen: _The Malfoy Debate_

Draco Malfoy was replaying the argument with Hermione Granger in his mind with a sinking feeling. As he thought of their angry words to each other, his own arguments seemed selfishly pathetic while Hermione Granger's shone in his mind. Would he truly choose blood purity and the right to his elite wizarding lifestyle over _her very life_? He despised himself for being enraged by her blood status when he should be enraged that her life was threatened by _his_ Death Eater family and friends. He loathed the fact that he himself had threatened to harm such a warm and intelligent girl. She was the only person beside Dumbledore who had tried to offer him a way out. She had tried to see the good in him. He closed his eyes and began to drown in despair. _Good in him?_ He could have told her it was a waste of time. There was no hope for his future. His world grew darker and darker until he pictured his headstone, _Draco Malfoy, youngest Death Eater. Died Young._ What a thing to be proud of, he thought viciously.

Awhile later, he remembered her parting words that she hoped his _lineage_ would end while his _pure blood_ rotted in Azkaban. Now _those_ words cut to the quick and pulled him out of his depressed spirits. Draco was the youngest Malfoy, so the future of the Malfoy family rested upon him. If he did not have children, if he was prevented from having children by a lengthy stay in Askaban, the Malfoy line would be cut short. Deep down, he knew that this war was wrong. Killing innocent people be they Muggles or Mudbloods or even Purebloods was wrong. Bellatrix was wrong. Voldemort was wrong. His parents were wrong. Hermione Granger had implored him to consider his future. Now, he certainly was doing just that.

Draco Malfoy had to agree with Hermione Granger that a Death Eater's future did not look promising. The Malfoys were clearly hoping to benefit from terrorism, but could it last? Could they make the power play they hoped to place themselves at the helm of Magical Britain? It was time to get out, Malfoy realized. It was _past time_ to get out. Would his parents join him? Would they betray their associates? If not, could _he_ betray his parents? Betrayal was equivalent to death in this society.

Draco Malfoy's mind was spinning. It was a lose-lose situation that was simply impossible. Every direction Draco Malfoy turned, he saw death. Death if he stayed with his parents; death if he left. But Hermione Granger was right. In every argument, she was right. He had to tell her. He needed to talk to her again. He needed to see her.

* * *

Andromdeda burst through the floo to Grimmauld Place.

"Hello! Is Hermione here? Hermione, Hermione! Draco Malfoy wants to talk! He's ready to talk! Is Hermione here?"

"Upstairs," offered George Weasley.

"So the Ferret is talking now? Talking out of which side of his mouth?" Ron jeered.

"Andromeda! So glad you are here. Teddy will be so happy to see his grandmother. Would you like to stay for dinner, dear?" Molly asked warmly.

"I'll be back, Molly. Thank you, I need to speak with Hermione first."

Hermione was upstairs with Ginny and baby Teddy when Andromeda burst through the door. She reached for her grandson and repeated her news.

"Hermione! Draco Malfoy wants to see you. He wants to talk."

Hermione was not impressed. She turned away saying dully, "No."

Andromeda was aghast. "Hermione, this is what you have been waiting for. Draco is ready to talk. More than that, he's ready to _switch sides_ , Hermione! He not only wants to feed us information, he wants to work for the Order! Hermione, you did it!"

"I don't care."

Ginny looked from Hermione to Andromeda with her brows raised. This response was so unlike Hermione. She always cared. What had happened?

Andromeda quieted her voice. "Hermione, why don't you want to see Draco?"

"He just cares about blood purity. He hasn't changed."

"I think he has. He wants to talk to you. He is asking for you, Hermione."

"Send Harry to him. Then you'll know if he's sincere. I don't want to see him."

"Dear, he is talking about defeating Bellatrix, but he doesn't want to go back without talking to you first. He wants you to come up with the plan."

A flicker of interest crossed Hermione's face, but instead of engaging in the conversation, she rose from the bed and left the room. Andromeda and Ginny were left staring at one another.

Dinner was an interesting affair. Draco Malfoy was the topic of conversation, and everyone had an opinion about Malfoy except Hermione Granger. No one could get her to engage, not even when Ron said, "I'll go. Let _me_ talk to Draco Malfoy. A little hex here and a little hex there. I'll make him pay for his Death Eater ways!"

Even George got in on the action. "I think I have some Weasley Steam Blowers left. We can give one to Malfoy and watch all the hot air come out his ears!"

Harry wondered if he was sincere. Mr. Weasley and Ginny believed that he was. Bill and Fleur questioned that assumption. Andromeda pleaded Malfoy's case. Ron berated Malfoy. Molly agreed with everyone in an attempt to keep the peace. George contributed one-liners that might have been funny if he hadn't sounded so dark and bitter. The debate circled the table; it seethed and raged, ebbed and flowed. Hermione was silent.

Mr. Weasley turned to Hermione and praised her for her efforts. "You were the one with the vision, Hermione. You thought this would work, and it did! Don't you want to garnish your galleons, as they say? What a glorious moment for you! This could very well turn the tide of the war!"

"No, thank you." Hermione did not lift her eyes from her plate.

"Why should she?" Ron challenged. "She's done her part. Let someone else finish."

"All right, all right, I'll go," moaned Harry. "I'll talk to Malfoy."

Hermione looked at him gratefully.

"Yes, well, thank you, Harry, but I think he really wants to see Hermione," suggested Andromeda. "Perhaps he wants to apologize."

George and Ron snorted. Bill and Fleur looked skeptical. Ginny and Harry gazed at Hermione. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked worried. Andromeda waited patiently. All were silent, awaiting her reply.

"No, thank you. Harry can go." Hermione felt uncaring, dead to the world. Maybe she just needed some sleep. She didn't know why she felt so off kilter, so apathetic, but right now she really could care less about Draco Malfoy.

* * *

"Malfoy."

"Potter."

The two nodded at each other with distrust.

"Is she coming?"

"Who?"

"Hermione, of course, who else?" snapped Draco Malfoy.

Harry raised his brows at the use of Hermione's first name. What had happened between the two? Something fishy was going on.

"What did you do to her, Malfoy?"

"What? Nothing! I didn't _do_ anything to her, Potter."

"No? Well, she's not coming. She's not interested in seeing you, Malfoy."

Malfoy's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Does she know that I want to defect? Does she know that I've thought about everything she said and decided that she was right? I need to tell her that."

"She doesn't care, Malfoy. She's a bit upset about _blood purity_ right now."

"We got into an argument about that," Draco admitted somewhat sullenly.

"I can't believe you went there with her, after your history. What were you thinking?"

"What history?" Draco asked curiously.

"Oh, come on, Malfoy, you know what I'm talking about. Your history with Hermione."

"No, I don't have any memories of Hermione at all before arriving here in this cottage. What are you talking about?"

"Seriously, Malfoy?"

"Of course, I'm serious! They think Bellatrix obliterated Hermione from my memory. Tell me what to do, Potter. I really need Hermione's help here. I want to do the right thing, but I need her to talk me through it all."

"Is there a pensieve around here, Malfoy? I could give you a few ripe old _memories_ of our Hogwarts days to keep you company. You really should know your past before you embark upon a future with Hermione," Harry said this with a biting grin.

Malfoy looked at Harry suspiciously. _What was he getting at? Did he think they were having a lover's quarrel?_ Malfoy began to sneer at the ridiculous thought of pairing up with a Mudblood, but suddenly froze.

Hermione Granger spoke the truth to him, a very hard truth indeed about his lineage rotting in Azkaban, because she cared. _She cared._ No one had ever cared for Draco Malfoy like that-enough to tell the truth while at the same time, wishing the best for him. Most people favored the status or wealth his family held, not the person they thought he could become. Was there _anyone_ who cared for Draco Malfoy the same way that she did? A warm feeling crept upwards to his chest. His sneer left his mouth, and he began to feel dizzy, quite dizzy.

Harry looked at him curiously. "Malfoy?"

Malfoy decided to ignore the warm feeling swirling inside him. "How will looking at the past help me?" he asked instead as he rubbed his forehead.

"It will help you understand Hermione so you never repeat those _Mudblood_ insults again. That will put you on Hermione's good side, right?"

"Yes, let me see them. But when I'm done watching your memories, what then? Will she see me then, Potter? I don't see the connection."

"You'll think of something, Malfoy. So, now let's get down to business. Voldemort is dead?"

"Yes."

"Bellatrix is alive?"

"Yes."

"Who is in command?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know, or you can't say?"

Silence.

"Who are the other Death Eaters?"

"I can't say, Potter."

"Where does your father stand in all this?"

"It's his house, so he is presently entertaining everyone. There are still prisoners in the dungeons."

Harry winced. "We need to get them out of there."

"My mother is a prisoner too, Potter, just not in the dungeons."

"We'll put her on the list then."

"We need to stop the Death Eaters, Potter."

Harry agreed. "The sooner, the better. The Order will come up with a plan of attack and will let you know what your part in it is."

Draco had a sudden fear that they would do no such thing. They would hold him hostage here while they attacked the Manor.

"You can't get into the Manor without me. The wards are very strong. I can get in because of my...blood."

"Oh, right, your _pure_ blood," jeered Harry, making it sound very nasty indeed.

Draco flushed. He looked at Harry with near hatred, but then closed his eyes before he said or did anything rash. Harry was his second chance. He had failed Hermione, the one person who believed in him. Harry would be a tougher act to follow, so he needed to keep his emotions in control.

Harry suddenly relented. He took his wand and pulled out a few silvery blue strands of memories, placing them into a vial that he pulled from his pocket. "Here you go, Malfoy. Enjoy the show. I'll talk to Hermione."

Draco Malfoy relaxed. He reached out for the vials and then gripped Harry Potter's hand. "Thank you, Potter. I know it might not work, but I appreciate the effort."

Harry nodded thoughtfully at Draco Malfoy and left the room. Draco Malfoy stared at the vial with the silver liquid swirling in the palm of his hand.


	14. Chapter Fourteen:Malfoy MakesUp His Mind

_Just so you know, this is not my story. If you'd like to read to the end, you are out of luck. I'm going on vacation, so will not be posting for about ten days. Wouldn't it be awesome if JK Rowling could take over?_

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Fourteen: _Malfoy Makes Up His Mind_

When Harry left, Draco collapsed on the bed with his hands over his eyes. He needed to think this over. This strange, incredible idea that had briefly filled him with such hope was unfortunately pinned on Hermione Granger, a witch who must thoroughly hate him. What disturbed him the most was the intense fear that he might never see her again. Draco groaned. _Seriously?_ He had just met the girl! _Why this sudden attachment?_ He had an eerie feeling that it had to do with his missing memories.

He struggled to envision his future. Loyalty to his family at the Malfoy Manor seemed a sure path to death. But could he desert his family? Then Draco would no longer be a true Malfoy. There had to be a way to convince his parents that it was time to cut ties with the Dark Side. A true Malfoy would plan how to land on his feet, switching sides to protect the family name and property without penalty. If anything, the Malfoys were survivors. Perhaps this was the line to take with his parents. He would have to attempt to persuade his parents to follow his lead. And if he were successful, he would be left with ... Malfoy Manor. Now this future seemed less dangerous, but certainly lonely and restrictive. He hated feeling bound to his parents and thought with despair that _he had served his time_. He wondered if he had it in him to break away. There was no hope, no friendship, no love in a future at Malfoy Manor.

Hope was a small light in his dark world. The future he longed for would be one with Hermione Granger at his side. He was struggling to picture more. Hermione Granger as what- _Friend_? _Lover_? _Wife_? He snorted derisively at the thought of a Malfoy marrying a Mudblood, but the warmth moving in his chest was almost painful as he imagined her in each role. _Friend_ , yes, he liked her humor, he admired her intellect, he enjoyed being with her. Hermione already had proven herself to be the best of friends with her truthful admonitions. But had _he_ been _her_ friend? And _Lover_? He couldn't imagine shagging a Mudblood, but he could definitely imagine kissing this particular one, so there might be potential there. _Wife?_ He shuddered to think of Hermione attempting to fill Narcissa Malfoy's shoes or even living at Malfoy Manor ( _What a nightmare_!). But yes, he could picture her keeping him in line, laughing at him, caring for their children. He envisioned holding her in his arms all night long. His breath caught in his throat at the thought and the warm feeling rushed through him again, but he tried to quell it by focusing on a niggling sense of shame.

 _He had only been thinking of himself. He had never once thought of her._

What did _Hermione Granger_ need? She needed someone who was strong and good and true. Draco had never been any of those things. She needed someone who appreciated her, valued her judgment, encouraged her to achieve her dreams. Her dreams would lead her far away from Draco Malfoy. Hermione needed someone to love her, someone who could hold her and comfort her when she was sad. Somehow, Draco thought that she might be sad right now. A tender emotion swirled around Draco's mind as he thought of that strong, brave girl hurt by the person who should have appreciated her most. The thought of Ron Weasley or Harry Potter comforting her right now made Draco Malfoy scowl.

 _So, what was he asking of her and was it too much?_

He wanted to ask her to stand by him and help him figure out his role in the killing of Bellatrix LeStrange. He needed her to talk him through it and give him her analysis. He wanted her to stay with him every step of the way, to steady his hand and give him courage. He needed her support to make him strong, able to finish this task. Was that too much to ask of one person? Was he being selfish again?

 _Stop a minute_ \- choosing Hermione Granger as his witch would immediately put her in danger. He could in no way take a Muggleborn witch near Malfoy Manor. She would be killed in an instant, he knew. So, again, he was thinking about this all backwards. Since he hoped for a chance to be with her at the end of the war, he should keep her safe during his trip to Malfoy Manor. He needed Hermione Granger to stay _away_ from Bellatrix LeStrange, _away_ from Malfoy Manor. Perhaps it was best if she stayed _away_ from Draco Malfoy entirely.

And after the war, if he had the opportunity to pursue Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy would have to choose between Hermione Granger and Malfoy Manor. He would have to give up his heritage and position as a Malfoy, and possibly his inheritance as well to pursue Hermione Granger. There was no way around that. The thought filled the warm spot inside his chest with conviction. Being with Hermione Granger would be a betrayal of his parents and even himself, really, but he had to give it a chance to see if she might return his feelings. Then Draco Malfoy shook his head at the sheer unlikelihood of Muggleborn Hermione Granger _in love with_ Death Eater Draco Malfoy. Never could it happen. He was wasting his time.

 _He was back to thinking only of himself_. He either had too much selfishness or too little understanding to think of her. Something had to change.

After awhile, Malfoy rose to his feet and stumbled through the door to look for Andromeda. She was usually in the kitchen and was the friendliest to Draco. He thought she might know if there was a pensieve in the cottage. He really wanted to see Harry Potter's memories. The aurors in the sitting room, dining room, and hallway eyed him as he passed. Draco nodded and stepped into the kitchen, relieved to see his aunt.

"Draco! How are you today? Did you see Harry?"

"Yes, thank you, Aunt. I did."

"Hermione is not coming, dear."

"So Harry told me. It's fine. Harry did give me some memories to watch from our Hogwarts Days. He thought it might help me understand Hermione's feelings better."

Andromeda stared. "Of course, dear. Then you will be needing a pensieve too. You know that the healers used one when you were...recovering...to try to locate your missing memories. Hermione gave them her memories so they could identify them in your mind."

"Her memories?"

"Yes, I imagine they are locked up with the pensieve. If I can't open the cabinet, then we may have to ask Professor McGonagall. This is her cottage, you know."

How had he missed that? Professor McGonagall, who despised Draco Malfoy, had opened up her home to him? And he had treated her with such coldness and disrespect. Draco Malfoy felt another wave of dizziness.

"Are you feeling okay, Draco?" his aunt asked him.

"Yes, I have been experiencing some dizziness today," he told her quietly.

"Well, maybe you should wait to watch the memories until you have someone with you. Seeing your past could trigger your memories to return."

"That would be a good thing, would it not?"

"Not if you pass out while you are in the pensieve."

Malfoy chuckled. He'd thought quite a bit about death, but this was one he hadn't considered. He pictured the tombstone epitaph: _Here Lies Draco Malfoy, the Death Eater who Drowned in Memories._ It had a ring to it. Draco wished he could share the joke with Hermione Granger.

He decided to change the subject. "Aunt, was it difficult abandoning your heritage to marry a Muggle?"

Andromeda blinked at Draco's choice of words. That wasn't how she had viewed it at all. How could she convey the depth of her conviction?

"Of course it was difficult. I hated disappointing my family, but I didn't have a choice really. I couldn't _live_ without Ted," Andromeda's voice broke and her eyes grew teary as she looked at Draco compassionately. "They were the happiest years of my life, Draco, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. It was painful to be rejected by my family, but I always had the feeling deep down that if they truly loved me, they would have accepted me and my husband eventually. They never truly loved me, Draco; they just wanted to control me. I _needed_ to break away from them. I'm just very grateful that Ted helped me."

Draco nodded thoughtfully. Did his parents truly love him? The burden of proof had always rested on his own shoulders; he had needed to prove his love as well as his loyalty to his parents. There must be a point when a person should say, _Enough!_ Perhaps it had nothing to do with Hermione Granger. Maybe he needed to get out of the Malfoy family just for himself. The thought didn't fill him with the warmth or joy he had when he thought of leaving his family to pursue Hermione Granger. Life without Hermione _and_ his parents just seemed...empty.

"Come, Draco, help me find the pensieve." Andromeda took her nephew back upstairs to another bedroom and unlocked several cupboards before locating McGonagall's pensieve. She gently lifted it and told Draco to carry the vials on the side of the cupboard labeled _Hermione Granger_. He held them as if they were precious treasure. This was their past. Had they been friends? He was very curious to know if they had snogged or shagged, but he doubted that she would have given those private memories to healers.

"Have you seen these?" Draco asked his aunt.

"Yes, dear, I was one of your healers who searched your mind for these memories."

"Oh. Which ones should I start with?"

"This vial is first chronologically. This second vial is her most important memory."

"Really, how do you know?" Draco inquired curiously. Would that be the vial with the kiss?

"Her hands were shaking when she gave it to me, and she held it like it was treasure. Also, it is the most recent memory. Only a week or two before you came here."

Malfoy glanced at the vial labeled _Hermione Granger, Malfoy Manor._ A sinking feeling overtook him. This could not be good. No snogging or surreptitious love-making in this vial. He wasn't sure he could watch that one. He pushed it away.

"Well, I don't think you will need me for this vial of memories. You'll find it's primarily your early years at Hogwarts. But I will come back for the second vial. I want to be with you, Draco, when you watch."

"Wait a minute, Aunt. Do I need to ask Hermione's permission to view her memories?"

"No, she gave them to the healers, knowing that they might show them to you. She wanted to help you any way she could with your recovery."

Again, Hermione Granger's warm-hearted generosity to someone who did not deserve it shook his very being. He bit his lip to keep it from trembling. When his aunt had left the room, Draco Malfoy poured the vial of Hermione Granger's memories into the pensieve and pushed his head into the water.

Draco Malfoy was thoughtful when he later emerged from Hermione Granger's memories. He had been a hateful boy, self-righteously believing in his Malfoy pureblood superiority, but he thought he could see through the meanness. Draco Malfoy had been trying to get Hermione Granger's attention. He couldn't really tell if the young Draco Malfoy _liked_ or _hated_ the young Hermione Granger. If these had been his own memories, then he might have known. How strange that his own emotions were hidden from him. He was very curious about his feelings as a child.

Now, the Yule Ball was a different matter entirely. The look on his face when he had seen Hermione Granger at the side of Victor Krum was easy enough to read. Hermione Granger had been truly beautiful in her dressrobes. He was surprised to see how beautiful. The ghost of a smile and warm eyes had revealed his true feelings of respect and admiration, Draco believed. By this age, Draco Malfoy had appreciated Hermione Granger's worth. Her surprise at what she saw in his eyes indicated that he had never before revealed his feelings to her, but had kept them well hidden

 _Had he kept his feelings for her hidden for her own protection?_ Draco pondered that idea and then rejected it. He was no selfless hero. If he had liked her in school, he would have pursued her, he reasoned.

He watched for more interactions like this one, but sadly was ashamed to see all his interactions were bullying, boorish, and horrid. _Blood purity_ was a central theme. Hermione Granger had endured a tremendous amount of abuse from Draco Malfoy, but he had to smile at her quick comebacks. She certainly knew how to dish it back. She didn't seem victimized by his abuse; he never saw tears, just anger or exasperation. Hermione Granger was a strong young woman. He hoped that he would have the chance to apologize for his immature and horrid behavior at Hogwarts.

Next, Draco Malfoy watched Harry Potter's memories. They were similar to Hermione's, but Harry had caught young Draco gazing at Hermione Granger a few times without the typical sneer. His expression was impossible to read, but there certainly was no hatred or superiority evident. Apparently, young Draco Malfoy had lived behind a mask at Hogwarts. He did not reveal himself, especially to his enemies. Draco knew that mask well, but also remembered that here at the cottage, the mask had failed him. When meeting Hermione Granger after the curse had been broken, he couldn't hide from her and his emotions were displayed for her to see.

The last vial was in his hand. He did not want to wait for his aunt.

Draco Malfoy took a breath. If this was an important memory for Hermione, it likely was for him as well. He dreaded seeing Hermione at Malfoy Manor. He could almost predict the horrible outcome, but he was also insanely curious. To know Hermione, he must know this memory. He poured the bluish silvery wisp out of the vial. Then Draco Malfoy plunged into the swirling liquid of the pensieve.

This time, Draco Malfoy was not an observer who wondered about the emotions of his younger self. From the moment The Golden Trio was pulled into Malfoy Manor by the snatchers and from the moment Draco was asked to identify them, the agony began. He stood helplessly near Hermione Granger, watching in horror as his Aunt Bellatrix crucioed his classmate. Bellatrix screamed, but Granger never revealed any secrets. Brave, brave girl. As Bellatrix began carving _MUDBLOOD_ on Hermione Granger's arm, a revelation shuddered through him: Hermione Granger was as pure of blood and magic as one could be. It was the Malfoys, the LeStranges, the Dark Lord, and all the Death Eaters whose blood was tainted. Draco's tortured eyes met Hermione's clear brown eyes, and he didn't know what to do. Could he rescue her? Could he stop Bellatrix? He did not want to see Hermione Granger die. The thought that she might die brought tears to his eyes. He wanted to attack his aunt and scream at her to stop, but he was frozen in place, feeling her pain. This was the worst nightmare of his life.

Draco swam and swirled through the memory, struggling to get out. He didn't need to see any more because he remembered it all now. He remembered all of his Hogwarts years and every horrid memory of him taunting Hermione Granger. This memory at Malfoy Manor was important to her? How could that be? How could she even look at him after this?

Draco Malfoy collapsed on his bed with his hands covering his eyes. The dizziness was back, but barely noticeable compared to the agony within. Hermione Granger had been tortured in his house by his family, and after all that, she still believed that there was good in him and wanted to rescue him from that life. How was that even possible?

As his emotions calmed and his breathing steadied, Draco Malfoy realized that any remnants of superiority he had been clinging to were shredded to rags. Tradition, status, wealth, self-importance were all nothing in the eyes of Granger; they were nothing in his eyes as well. This was the proof: his pureblood beliefs had rendered him powerless in the face of wrongdoing. It was time to leave the Dark Side; time to leave the Malfoy family.


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Granger Returns

_Just returned from my trip. Now Granger returns. Just wish Rowling would return to writing HP. She owns it all._

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Fifteen: Granger Returns

Hermione knocked on the door; then waited politely to be bid to enter. She pushed open the door and looked for Draco Malfoy in his usual seat at the table by the window. No one was there. She glanced around the room and saw Malfoy stretched out on his bed. _Bed? Of course there's a bed, this is a bedroom after all, s_ he told herself, but wondered why she had never noticed it before. She marched over to the table by the window and sat ungracefully in the chair facing Malfoy from across the room. He did not get up. She rolled her eyes and grimly waited for him to speak. Malfoy said nothing.

"I'm here," she said tersely. "The Minister of Magic _insisted_ that I come to see you."

Malfoy smiled, and his face slowly lit up. "I really didn't think you'd come back," he admitted.

Hermione blinked at his transformation, but said nothing.

"I'd get up, but I'm feeling a bit dizzy, so I'll have to talk from here, sorry."

Hermione shrugged and turned to face the window.

"I read the books," Malfoy began.

"Which one?"

Malfoy smiled. He knew how to get her talking. "All three, of course."

"I don't believe you. It's not even been three full days."

"Are you calling me a liar? Seriously, I'm a _very_ quick reader."

"Prove it then, Malfoy. Who was your favorite character?"

"I would say Frodo Baggins, but he's too much like Harry Potter for my liking, so I'll pick Legolas."

Hermione smiled faintly and turned back to Malfoy. "Why Legolas?" she asked.

"He's smooth, smart, skilled and graceful in all he does. Definitely Malfoy tendencies."

Now Hermione snorted, "It figures."

"Who is your favorite character?"

"I like all them all, but I love Sam." _Was that a spark in Granger's eye?_ "Sam Gamgee is so funny and good. He's a faithful, true friend, and a hero in his own right."

Malfoy's smile vanished. Sam Gamgee reminded _him_ of Ron Weasley. Plebian.

"Gamgee, Granger. Practically the same name. And there _you_ are-always faithful, never leaving Potter's side." He _had_ to make more of an effort here.

"So, what did you think of the ending?" Hermione asked cautiously. Her eyes were starting to glimmer now. Draco smirked to think how easy it was to bring her back. He imagined taming a furious Hermione Granger by asking innocently, "I need a book to read. Do you have a suggestion?"

Hermione's impatience brought his attention back to her question. He pretended to ponder and then replied, "Which ending? There were at least three."

Hermione laughed (or was that a squeal?), "You're right, Draco! Tolkien wraps up all the stray ends perfectly, doesn't he? Draco, who did Gandalf remind you of?"

Malfoy heard her say _Draco_ twice. He wondered if she knew.

"I thought of Dumbledore, of course. But it doesn't look like Dumbledore's coming back from the dead like Gandalf any time soon, does it?"

And with that, Malfoy suddenly felt weary and sad. It was all very well and good to pick characters to identify with, but the truth of the matter was that Death Eaters most resembled the Black Riders. And that was who Draco Malfoy was, a faceless, soulless, Black Rider. He sat back against the pillows and covered his face with his arm. The arm tattooed with the Dark Mark.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Thank you for reading the books, Malfoy," Hermione said quietly. "I tried to get Harry and Ron to read them, but they weren't interested. It really means a lot to me that you read them. Especially since they are Muggle books."

Malfoy couldn't bring himself to say anything. Hermione stared at him curiously.

"Malfoy, are you okay?"

Draco Malfoy nodded. "My memories came back today. I'm a little shaky and dizzy at the moment."

"Really? You remember _everything_? Do you remember me?"

"Yes, Granger. I do remember you...and everything."

"Oh," Hermione breathed. Then she smiled.

Malfoy was astonished. "Are you happy about this?"

"Yes, I guess I am."

"You're nuts, Granger. Why should you be happy that I remember all the taunting and name-calling and hexes? Why should you be happy that I remember the day at Malfoy Manor when you were tortured? It was one of the worst days in my entire life, and it makes you _happy_?"

Draco stilled hadn't apologized, and he was hoping there would be a decent moment to do so. If he could just keep Granger from blowing her top, he thought he might try very soon.

"It was one the worst days in my entire life, too, Malfoy, but I do treasure the memory."

"Why on earth?"

"It was the day that I saw the real you instead of the pompous git you were at school. I saw your feelings, Draco, and they helped me fight the _Crucio_. I saw the person who hides behind the mask... and that person...touched my soul."

Draco couldn't breathe.

"Draco, I think something happened during that _Crucio._ I think that you and I connected somehow. Do you think that's possible?"

Malfoy shrugged. His arm covered his eyes. He didn't really know what Hermione was talking about, but perhaps it had something to do with the waves of emotion that were overwhelming him right now.

Hermione stood up and stepped over to Malfoy. She sat down on the bed beside him.

"I came here thinking this was a waste of time. And you pulled me out of my funk in about two seconds flat. Why? Are you trying to make a _Mudblood_ happy or something?"

 _Now was the time_. Draco drew a deep breath and lowered his arm to look at her.

"Hermione, I apologize for everything I've done to you. I'm sorry for all the years of bullying that you had to endure from me at Hogwarts, including hearing me call you a M _udblood_. I deeply regret that you were harmed at my house. And I'm sorry that while you were tortured, I ... I..."

Malfoy's eyes welled up with tears, and he couldn't go on. Hermione held his hand and waited. He gripped it tightly, and lifted his eyes to hers. Here was the look of pain in his eyes that had simultaneously melted and strengthened her back at the Manor. Hermione's heart jumped at the look in his eyes.

"It's okay, Malfoy, I understand," Hermione murmured.

"No. I need to finish." Malfoy swallowed before continuing. "I'm sorry that while you were tortured, I did nothing."

"What could you do, Malfoy? Your hands were tied."

He remembered her saying that before. He remembered gazing at his hands and seeing his hands freed from the shackles. She had been the one to set him free.

"I'm sorry for ever believing in blood purity. I thought over all your arguments, and I know that you are right. I'm giving it up again."

"What do you mean by _again?_ " asked Hermione.

"I rejected _blood purity_ awhile ago, Granger. I just forgot that I had when my memories disappeared."

Hermione threw herself onto Malfoy's chest and hugged him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her even closer. She felt right in his arms. He smiled into her bushy brown hair and drank in her smell, pressing his lips to her curls. After a few minutes, Hermione pulled away and sat up.

"Friends?" she asked holding out a hand.

"Friends," he agreed, shaking her hand solemnly.

Hermione beamed at Draco Malfoy. This was better by far than anything she had ever dreamed. A Draco Malfoy who was her friend! Suddenly, her smile faltered.

"Malfoy, are you feeling okay? You look terrible."

"Actually, I do feel sick. Could you give the message to Andromeda?"

"Andromeda was leaving when I arrived, but maybe I can catch her. Where do you feel sick?"

"Head and stomach- I think from feeling dizzy all day."

Hermione put her hand on Draco Malfoy's forehead. He was burning up. She conjured a cool damp cloth to put on his forehead, covering his eyes from the light. She pulled the curtains of his room closed. Then she conjured a bucket and put his arm around it.

"There, that's in case you vomit. I'll go find some help for you."

"Will you come back?"

"Of course, I will. I'm your friend. Friends take care of each other."

He smiled from under the cool cloth. He liked the sound of that.


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Planning with Malfoy

_One more chapter of "calm before the storm". All rights belong to JKR._

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Sixteen: _Planning with Malfoy_

A Ministry-affliated healer came to visit Draco Malfoy. He hummed and hemmed, looked into Draco's mind and announced that the gray marble walls hiding his mind from outsiders were breaking down. Once they were gone, Draco's mind would be open for any wizard to perform Legilimency upon it. Draco rolled his eyes in disgust. The healer gave Draco a potion to bring down his fever and used his wand to draw out the poison that was making him nauseous.

"Just leftovers from the old curse, my boy, you will feel better in a day or two," the healer assured him.

Draco just wanted to sleep, so growled for everyone to go away and leave him alone. Hermione tried to slip away, but since her hand was still tightly clasped in his and he refused to let go, she stayed near him and watched him sleep. White blond hair damply fell across his brow. His arm still covered his eyes, but she could see a glimpse of his pale lashes underneath. His cheeks were flushed with the remnants of the fever. Hermione felt a strong desire to touch his face, but held back. She next considered lifting his sleeve to examine the Dark Mark, but didn't want to wake him, so she sat quietly and gazed at their entwined hands. How strange that Hermione Granger's hand was hidden in Draco Malfoy's! Who knew that they would become friends? Well, maybe _she_ had known it was possible all along. Maybe her _imagination_ was really _instinctive knowledge._ Maybe she had understood Draco Malfoy even before they had had their first real conversation. The jury was still out on that. She would need more evidence before arriving at a verdict.

When Hermione awoke, she lifted her neck from an uncomfortable position on Draco's chest and found that her hair was stuck. She twisted to get it free and realized that Draco's hand was wrapped in her curls. Sighing, she reached back to wriggle it free. Then she sat back and studied the sleeping Draco Malfoy.

 _This is too weird,_ she thought to herself. In just over a week, Draco Malfoy had gone from violent to friendly to hostile to humble to needy. _Who is this man?_ _And who will he be when he awakes?_ Although it had been an innocent nap, they had just _slept_ together. Hermione smirked and thought about that. While Draco was sleeping, he was at his most vulnerable. Their little nap meant that Draco _trusted_ Hermione. And Hermione could not have fallen asleep unless she _trusted_ Draco Malfoy just like she trusted Harry and Ron.

So they trusted each other. And they were friends. The thought made her wildly happy, but the idea that they might become something more than friends made her pull away. The rational Hermione Granger needed to calmly select a course of caution. She would hold back and observe. So far, he had been like a pendulum, swinging from one extreme to the other. She planned to wait and see who Draco Malfoy would be next. Hermione returned to her seat by the window and pulled out a book.

"Granger."

Hermione looked up from _The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_.

"Malfoy? Are you feeling better?"

Malfoy ignored the question. "Granger. You should have gone home. I wanted to talk to you about my plans, but I'm not quite myself yet. Come back tomorrow."

Hermione put down her book. "You have plans?" she inquired with a smile. If he wanted her to leave, then this was the wrong way to go about it. Her curiosity was peaked now. "What sort of plans?"

"Plans to kill Bellatrix," drawled Malfoy.

"You have plans to kill Bellatrix?" shrieked Hermione. "What?"

"As soon as I'm well, I'm heading back to the Manor. Then I'll kill her."

"That's it? That's your plan? Malfoy, you really can't. It's too dangerous for you."

"Of course, it's bloody dangerous. It's dangerous for anyone. But I'm the only one who can get through the wards. It has to be me."

"Seriously, Malfoy, Bellatrix has had her claws in you, or more specifically, she's had her magic in you. You really should not go back. Think of it like a recovering drug addict going back to the dealer. It doesn't make sense."

"Thanks, Granger. You just said that I'm addicted to Bellatrix's curse, and that she's my drug dealer."

"Well, I'm the same, Draco. I feel addicted to her magic, too. I don't think it's safe for me to go either."

Draco Malfoy released a very long breath of relief. He had been worried that Hermione wanted to do the evil deed. He was about to ask if she thought Harry should go, but then pondered her words.

"Why?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Why do _you_ , Goody Two Shoes Granger of the Golden Trio, feel addicted to Bellatrix's magic?"

"Well, I stole her wand, Draco, and I'd been using it ever since the day she tortured me."

Draco sat up in bed. " _What?_ Are you _serious?"_

Hermione chuckled. "It's okay, really. Harry talked me into destroying it. It's nothing but a bit of slime now. But it was really hard to destroy because I was very ... attached, Draco."

"This is a story I have to hear. Come back over here so you don't have to yell across the room. Tell me everything. From the beginning."

Hermione grinned because that sounded exactly like something _she_ would say. She considered carefully what she should share, but decided that she trusted Draco Malfoy. She told him everything. She started with the horocrux hunting that she did with Ron and Harry. She told him about ending up with Bellatrix's wand after she was tortured at Malfoy Manor. She told him about the Polyjuice Potion and using Bellatrix's wand to break into Gringotts. She told him about how he, Draco, had reacted to her when he was under the curse and Andromeda's belief that either Hermione or the wand was the trigger. She told him how Bellatrix attacked her when she tried to use legilimency on Draco. She told him how all three, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, had destroyed the wand.

"Harry made me destroy the wand. He was relentless, but patient too. I _knew_ I should destroy her wand in my mind, but my body wouldn't let me. I was too attached to it. I seriously could not have destroyed the wand if it weren't for Harry and Ron holding my hands."

Malfoy let that thought settle and then float away. He knew he should be grateful to them, but he wasn't quite ready to feel that generous. Better to just let it go.

"So do you think that it was a horocrux? Do you think she has more?" Draco asked.

"I don't really know if she has more. Andromeda has some ideas on that subject. But yes, I am fairly certain that the wand was a horocrux. It kind of _died_ when we stabbed it like horocruxes do. But it is very strange that she would choose her wand to hide a part of her soul. Tom Riddle chose things that were far away from him, so his immortality would be safe if he were attacked. Well, except for Nagini. He kept Nagini close. I wonder if Bellatrix wanted her horocrux close so that if she were to die, the wand would live on." Hermione's voice drifted away. She didn't know if that made sense.

"I can see that," Draco said slowly. "Bellatrix is a totally different person from the Dark Lord."

"- _Tom,"_ corrected Hermione.

Draco snorted. " _Tom_ planned everything carefully and thought out all the details. Bellatrix is emotional and -crazy, actually. She worships her magical treasures and might forget that they should be hidden."

"Molly Weasley killed her you know. I saw it happen. So for her to come back, there must have been a horocrux. What is she like now physically and emotionally? Is she weaker? Stronger?"

"Crazier."

"Hmm."

"So, if you aren't going in, and I'm not going in, who will kill Bellatrix?" asked Malfoy.

"Well, I have a plan for that too," began Hermione.

"Why am I not surprised?" smirked Malfoy.

"But I don't think you are going to like it. It does involve you."

"Name it. Anything. I'm in."

"What kind of Slytherin are you? Don't commit to something before you know what it is! Sheesh!" Hermione reprimanded Malfoy. "You are going to hate this idea, Malfoy, so buck up. Give me a little push back or sass. Mouth off or something."

Hermione frowned. She knew what Malfoy's reaction would be. Draco took his time perusing her face and tense shoulders. He trusted her completely, something very new to him, and he wanted to fly with that trust. He smiled a warm smile into her eyes to see if he could get her to relax. She blinked and looked away. _That smile_. Tingles floated down her entire body, and she forgot what she was going to say.

"You have a plan," prompted Malfoy leaning in. He was too close for comfort, simply too close. Hermione took a breath.

"You have a secret weapon, Malfoy, that I am fairly certain will work in our favor if you give us permission to use it. It could be that none of us has to kill Bellatrix; it will be done for us, and we can just sit back and watch it happen."

Draco Malfoy drew back and looked confused. _"I_ have a secret weapon? What kind of weapon?" He thought of spells, hexes, tricks he could do on his broomstick, but he could not think of a single weapon that would defeat Bellatrix LeStrange.

"It's a memory, Draco," Hermione said softly. "A bad memory of you and Bellatrix."

"I have plenty of those to go around. As do you. That's not going to change the tide of a war."

"This particular memory might do. Which memory of Bellatrix would you _never_ want your mother to see?"

The mask came down and his eyes turned cold. "How do you know about that?" he bit out harshly.

Hermione stared curiously at this transformed Malfoy. She knew this cold, angry Malfoy was a mask of protection that hid deep feelings, so she wasn't disturbed by the change.

"Andromeda saw it when she was searching for your memories of me. She's a mind healer, you know."

"Have you seen it?" The mortification threatened to burn his face and he wanted to die, but he kept his mask in place.

"No, I have not."

"Then how do you know it's a weapon?"

"Because of Andromeda's reaction. She didn't think it was real at first. When she realized it was a true memory, she said, _If Narcissa knew about this, Bellatrix would be a dead woman."_

Draco mulled her statement over in his mind. "You want my _mother_ to kill her own _sister?_ "

"Andromeda will be there too. If Narcissa can't, then Andromeda will. Bellatrix killed Andromeda's only child. She killed your cousin Tonks, Malfoy. Andromeda is ready to take vengeance."

"I see. And she will have access to Malfoy Manor. My mother would let her in, I am certain. It's tragic, Granger, but brilliant. You are bloody brilliant." Malfoy acknowledged her coldly with a sense of defeat and loss.

"Will you let me have that memory? Or let Andromeda have the memory, I should say?"

Draco closed his eyes. So there was to be no hero's victory for him, no laurels or cheers for switching sides. This victory would be one of humiliation, bitterness, and death of the inner self. But it made sense. Draco knew that his bravado was forced, his aim sloppy when it came to Bellatrix. She had power over him and made him weak. Andromeda, on the other hand, was as close as a sister but as distant as any other Order Member; she could take vengeance with deadly aim. Andromeda had been separated from Bellatrix for decades; she was healthy and strong. He didn't think Bellatrix stood a chance against Andromeda during a surprise attack because Bellatrix was sick and wild. If Narcissa joined Andromeda, this could be the means for uniting the family once again and serve to keep the Malfoys out of Azkaban. Draco nodded slowly.

"Do you have any vials? I need two."

Hermione reached into her extendable bag and located two vials for the memories. Draco lifted his wand to his temple and drew out a wispy silvery blue memory for Andromeda. He placed it in the vial and labeled it carefully. Then he drew several more memories out and placed them in the second vial. This one he labeled "Draco Malfoy Memories" with the date and handed it to Hermione.

"This one is for you, Granger. If this memory is as powerful as you say, then I want you protected by my family in case Andromeda fails."

Hermione placed her hand on his and looked into his eyes. "It will go well, Draco. Thank you for supporting our cause and most importantly, for joining our side."

She leaned in and gave him a kiss on his cheek. Then she rose.

"Wait, where are you going?" Draco asked anxiously.

"I'm taking this vial to Shacklebolt to see if he approves of the plan. Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

Hermione smiled at Draco and left the room. After she was gone, Draco Malfoy slumped in the chair with his head in his hands. Sharing those particular memories? Had he no pride? What he he done? _This was a bad idea, a very bad idea._


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Malfoy Manor

_Good news: I have finished writing the final chapter, so 7 more to go. Thank you so much for your reviews! We are almost at 75 reviews and 25 favorites! Yay! I appreciate you all so much.  
_

 _Bad news: No way am I revealing Draco's memory. That is personal._

 _Here is one of my favorite chapters. Hope you like it too._

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Seventeen: _Malfoy Manor_

Hermione rejoiced. She held the vial of Draco's memories to give to Andromeda and examined it carefully. She truly believed that this memory would turn the tide of the war. She placed it carefully in her extendable bag along with the vial of memories Draco had given her for her protection. She wasn't really curious about Draco's memory with Bellatrix. She knew it had to be evil, but she respected his privacy. However, the memories he gave her for protection, intrigued her. What memory could he give his family that would ensure her protection? Curious, indeed.

A meeting with Kingsley Shacklebolt was to be scheduled to plan the demise of Bellatrix. It was almost over. She was thankful for everyone who had helped make this mission a success: Harry, McGonagall, Andromeda, Kingsley, the Weasleys, and especially Malfoy. She wanted to share some of her happiness with Draco since she knew he was feeling down right now. A gift would be just the thing. Hermione apparated to Diagon Alley and headed toward Flourish and Blotts bookstore. Something special for Draco Malfoy would be in this shop. Hermione placed her hand on the door, but she never had a chance to open it. She never saw the attack coming. Black robes surrounded her, deep voices shouted, and Hermione Granger was transported with a swirl away from her favorite bookstore and away from her happy thoughts.

Hermione landed with some dizziness and a thump between two Death Eaters who grasped her arms tightly. She still held her wand in her hand, so she opened her mouth to shout a spell, but a voice beat her to it.

"Expelliarmus!"

Hermione Granger's wand sailed into the hand of Narcissa Malfoy. Hermione glanced at her surroundings. She was in a brighter, more luxuriously furnished room than before. Flowers adorned the mantel and table. Floor length windows opened out to the sunny gardens outside. This must be Malfoy Manor, but thankfully, not the drawing room. She didn't know if her courage could withstand another trip to that nightmare.

"It's the Mudblood. Back for another visit?" drawled Narcissa Malfoy.

Hermione gazed at her captor. This Narcissa Malfoy looked altered from the woman she had seen before. This was not the calm, cool, and collected Narcissa Malfoy. This was not the queen of high society who could not be bothered. No, this Narcissa Malfoy was furious. Her eyes were narrow slits and her mouth was pinched together. Hermione bit back a grin. Malfoy polish and a blank façade frightened her much more than Malfoy anger, perhaps because she never knew what the indifferent masks on their beautiful Malfoy faces were hiding. Malfoy anger, however, she could read. And this particular Malfoy was furious because her precious son was missing.

"I came for tea," declared Hermione Granger jauntily. "It's been _so_ long."

In less than a second, Narcissa's wand was at Hermione's throat. "Where is my son?" she hissed. "What have you done to Draco?"

Hermione slowly pushed the wand away. "As I am the one with answers, you will treat me with respect. I am a guest here, just as your son has been my guest. You may not _wish_ to treat me well, but unless you want information, you had better."

Immediately, Narcissa Malfoy was invading Hermione' mind. She saw the picture of Draco sitting at the table by the window, filtered sunlight glistening in his hair before Hermione was able to shut her mind down and replace the picture with the visual of her favorite Muggle animated film, _Beauty and the Beast_. Hermione kept the movie rolling for a minute and even starting humming the tune before Narcissa pulled out of her mind. Hermione released a breath of relief. She was not very experienced at occlumency, but found that Disney was a great help in one's time of need.

"Where is my son and what have you done to him?" Narcissa shrieked.

 _My, my, my, you are resembling Bellatrix more and more,_ thought Hermione with a smirk.

Narcissa threw a hex at Hermione, flinging her against the wall. The edge of a picture frame jabbed Hermione in the back and as she slid to the floor, she looked up to see a portrait of a young Draco Malfoy. _Typical. Here's Malfoy stabbing me in the back._ Hermione had no idea why she found everything so humorous, but clung to it since it was giving her courage. She had better watch her mouth, though, because a raging lioness protecting her cub was no laughing matter. Although, come to think of it, Hermione had just compared a Slytherin to a lioness, which also struck her as funny. Hermione struggled to pull herself together.

"Your son is safe, Mrs. Malfoy. Safer by far than he ever was when he lived here."

"I don't believe you. You _kidnapped_ my son to torture him and punish him. You've done that, now send him home."

"Send him home to his _mother_?" taunted Hermione Granger. Now her anger with Narcissa Malfoy was beginning to boil into a deep rage. "Send him home to a place where his life is in constant danger? Send him home, where he will learn to _excel_ at Death Eater duties? Send him home, where he will surely be imperiused to kill innocent people?" Hermione's voice rose. "If I send him home, Mrs. Malfoy, then your son's future is a lifetime in Azkaban. Have you thought of that at all? Would you really want him home now only to have him whisked away behind the walls of prison? _What kind of a mother are you?"_

Narcissa grew still. She lowered her wand. She asked unsteadily, "Draco is safe?"

"Yes."

"He is treated well?"

"Yes."

"Is he imprisoned?"

"No."

"Who is caring for him?" Narcissa's eyes narrowed at the thought of her son being guarded by a Mudblood. The thought of him at the home of the Weasleys also made her shiver.

"Your sister, Andromeda Tonks, is his primary caregiver. She was one of the healers the Order brought in to break _Bellatrix's_ imperius curse and restore his memories."

Narcissa drew a breath. "My sister Andromeda is with him?"

Hermione nodded.

Narcissa turned to the two masked Death Eaters at Hermione's side and dismissed them. "You may go."

Narcissa's eyes followed their exit for a moment, but then came back fiercely to Hermione. "What do you mean by Bellatrix's imperius curse? Bellatrix cursed Draco?"

"Yes, she cursed him to kill me. Perhaps because she wants her wand back."

Narcissa nodded as if she knew about the wand, but then snarled, "How _dare_ she? How _dare_ she lay a hand on my son?"

 _Ah, this was going well. Quite well._ Hermione felt encouraged and was just about to reach into her bag for the vial of memories to give to Narcissa, when Bellatrix stormed into the room.

"Where is the Mudblood? Why hasn't she been taken to the dungeons?" Bellatrix's black hair crackled as if with electricity. Her blood red lips contrasted with her pale skin. After spending a week with a healthy, strong Andromeda Tonks, Hermione thought Bellatrix looked emaciated and other-worldly. But her diabolically crazy mannerisms gave her a dangerous edge over her sister. When Bellatrix fixed her eye on Hermione, the girl felt herself begin to shrink with fear. Hermione closed her eyes and straightened up. When she opened them, she gave Bellatrix a piercing glare.

"Bella, dear, the Mudblood is my guest. I am going to keep her in the Pink Room; it's my best guestroom, darling."

"The Mudblood is not worthy to be in this house, Cissy. She pollutes the air we breathe. She is the enemy of the Dark Lord. Better that she _dies_ in your dungeon than in your guest room, hmm? Come, Mudblood, let's play." Bellatrix began fingering her wand. Hermione felt slightly sick and began to swallow.

"Nonsense, Bella. She is not going to die, and you are not going to torture her. We are going to keep her fat and healthy for the prisoner exchange."

Now Hermione pictured herself as Gretel caged in the witch's candy house.

"What prisoner exchange, Cissy? We have no prisoner exchange!"

"The prisoner exchange we will request when the Order realizes that Miss Granger is missing. We will offer to exchange her for Draco, of course."

Bellatrix was silent and spent the next few minutes walking around Hermione, staring her up and down. She stroked the word _MUDBLOOD_ that she had carved into Hermione's skin. Hermione began to quake with fear. She lifted Hermione's heavy brown hair with her hands, circled around the back of her, and leaned in closely, breathing into Hermione's ashen face.

Bellatrix whispered, "Where is my wand, _Mudblood_? I want my wand. Give me my wand, and then you will die."

Hermione stifled a laugh. She was scared to death of Bellatrix, because an unpredictable evil emanated from her like perfume. However, the idea of giving Bellatrix her wand so that Bellatrix could kill her was ludicrous. Seriously, did this witch have brains at all?

"That would not work in my best interest," Hermione whispered back. "Since I would rather live, I will keep the location of your wand a secret."

"Accio wand!" Bellatrix shouted, causing Hermione to step back. Nothing happened. Bellatrix began searching Hermione's pockets and hemlines. She even peeked down Hermione's shirt.

"Perhaps it is in this bag," suggested Narcissa dryly. Hermione released the pent up air she had been holding. Bellatrix stepped away from her and began searching through the bag. Hermione's relief vanished when she realized that the vials with Draco's memories were inside. Her gaze flashed over to Narcissa in alarm. Narcissa met Hermione's gaze evenly, then stepped closer.

"There are two vials of Draco's memories in the bag that are for you. She mustn't find them," Hermione whispered to Narcissa. Without changing expression, Narcissa stepped over to Bellatrix.

"Let me help, dear."

Both women reached into the bag and pulled out the objects hidden within:

1 book

1 tent

1 mini-fridge

1 cook stove

1 book

2 cots

2 sleeping bags

1 cupboard with pots, pans, dishes, and cutlery

1 book

2 suitcases

1 map of the UK; timetable for the rail and subway

1 book

1 box of tools, including hammer, nails, screwdriver, rope, matches, lighter, lighter fluid, fireworks, axe, shovel, clippers, and duct tape

hammock

towels

1 bag of toiletries including toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, hairbrush, Sleakeasy hair gel, toilet paper, feminine hygiene, soap, deodorant, fingernail polish, a razor, and sunscreen for pale skin

Narcissa frowned at the strange potion for pale skin, but kept on with the search. Finally, after sifting through canned foods and more books, Narcissa pulled out the two vials of memories and placed them in her pocket. Hermione gave another sigh of relief.

"I don't think your wand is there, Bella dear. Let's pack Miss Granger's bag back up for her, shall we?"

To Hermione's utter astonishment, Bellatrix LeStrange nodded and carefully began placing Hermione's camping gear and books back into her bag. The task seemed to calm her and occupy her mind. Bellatrix hummed a tune in a very high pitched voice. Hermione wondered if anyone would be able to kill such a childlike witch. She was clearly insane. Perhaps St. Mungo's would be the best place for her.

Just as Hermione was about to relax, Lucius Malfoy entered the room.

"Lucius, darling, we have a guest," Narcissa began.

"I can see that," Lucius Malfoy stared at Hermione Granger with narrowed eyes until she grew uncomfortable. His mouth curled with disdain and hatred. Then his voice bit out, "Does Miss Granger have any news about our son?"

"She does. I am keeping her in the Pink Room."

Lucius Malfoy raised his brow and suggested, "My dear, the dungeon would be more... appropriate, don't you think?"

"No, darling, I wouldn't be able to keep an eye on her there, and I don't want her hurt, you understand. She is my guest."

"For what purpose?" Lucius Malfoy's lips pressed together. He was not happy with his wife, Hermione could tell.

"She is going to tell me all about Draco, dear. And she is going to help me get him back."

"I see." Anger smoldered in Lucius Malfoy's silver eyes. Was it anger toward Hermione or toward Narcissa? Hermione felt very uncomfortable once again. Was everyone in this room unstable? Now she felt like Alice and waited for Bellatrix to cry out, _Off with her head!_

"Come with me, Miss Granger. Bella dear, I will take the bag. Thank you for your help. Darling, can you take Bella to her room, please? Come along, Miss Granger."

Hermione glanced back at Bellatrix, which was a mistake. Bellatrix fixed her now lucid gaze upon Hermione, locking her eyes with Hermione's. A jolt of fear shot through Hermione as she recognized the Bellatrix of her dreams heading toward her, wand in hand.

"Not quite yet, Sister. I am not done with this prisoner."

As the distance closed between them, Hermione felt her strength diminish; she was prey, a deer in headlights, unable to move away from her hunter. Suddenly, she was falling, a familiar sensation, but she couldn't recall when it had happened before. Bellatrix was singing her song in the unfamiliar language.

" _Silencio!_ " Narcissa ground out furiously. "Bellatrix, I will _not_ have you ruin my chance to get my son back. Leave Miss Granger alone."

Narcissa walked quickly away, pulling Hermione along with her. Hermione had to almost run to keep up with Narcissa's swishing robes. Fearful of being lost in Malfoy Manor, she doubled her speed. After climbing a flight of stairs and rushing down two different hallways, Narcissa finally paused at a door. She opened it and ushered Hermione in.

Hermione had pictured the Pink Room a hideously hot pink or perhaps a cute girlie pink color, but this bedroom was gorgeous. It was the palest of pinks, almost white, so refreshing. The bedcovers matched the color of the walls and the lush carpet was a silvery white. _It's Malfoy hair carpet,_ Hermione sniggered to herself, but donned a serious expression when Narcissa cast a suspicious glance at her.

"This is a lovely room, thank you, Mrs. Malfoy."

"Yes, it is my favorite. The balcony looks out toward the morning sun; you will have the sunrise to enjoy if you are an early riser."

"I am. I will look forward to it."

"And the bathroom is through here."

Hermione gasped to see the shining tiled bathroom with diamond and silver fixtures and a deep pool for the bath. She couldn't wait to dive into the warm scented water. The towels were lush and thick with a matching robe hanging nearby. Hermione looked longingly at the bath, but Narcissa hurried her out.

"I hope you will be comfortable. I will not ask you to dinner tonight because as you can see, all is not well in our family. You would not be safe. However, in this room, you should be fine. No one can bother you. Here is your wand, Miss Granger. I will have the house elves bring you dinner and anything else you might need."

Narcissa turned to leave, her pale blue silk robes swirling as she closed the door behind her.

Hermione stood agape, stunned at the turn of events.


	18. Chapter Eighteen: Granger Waits

_A Time of Reflection; All such moments belong to JKR._

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Eighteen: _Granger Waits_

After Narcissa left the room, Hermione waited a few moments, then tried to open the door. It was locked. She immediately whipped out her wand, chanting "Aholomora."

Nothing happened.

It wasn't that Hermione wanted to leave the lovely room and traipse about Malfoy Manor; it was just that she wanted to know that she _could_ leave. She liked having a choice in the matter. Hermione turned to look at the floor length windows. Ah, they were French doors that opened to a balcony with a view over the gardens. These doors opened easily and Hermione drew a sigh of relief. However, when she stepped out onto the balcony, she could feel a magical barrier that kept her from leaving the balcony. It was a transparent wall that the wind could pass through, but her hand could not. Even if she had a broom, she could not fly through it. Forlornly, Hermione stepped back into Narcissa's best guest room and gave a snort of disgust. A bedroom without books? What was there to do? Hermione sat at the desk and wrote a quick note to Harry and Andromeda to have ready in case an owl came along.

After she had finished writing her note, she investigated all the closets and drawers. They were empty. Hermione sighed and thought that she might take a bath. If she were to die at Bellatrix's wand, at least she would go out smelling like a rose- or whatever that intoxicating scent was in the bath. With the last hesitation gone, she stripped and dove into the warm, deep water that was waiting for her.

 _Ahh, this was the life!_

The scented water soothed her body. Stress and fear slowly floated away until she was relaxed and comfortable. Bubbles floated to the surface, and she began to practice wandless magic, trying to see if she could get the bubbles to float in the air. She let her mind drift to all her loved ones. _Her parents_. She missed them so much. If this attempt to persuade Narcissa Malfoy to the Order worked (and she hoped Narcissa was at this moment viewing the vials of memories), then after the war, she would travel to Australia to find her parents.

 _Harry_. He had been through so much. He had given his all and was devastated that it wasn't enough. Wouldn't he be amazed to see the difference in Hermione's treatment this visit to Malfoy Manor compared to the last visit? Something was changing in the air, and she hoped it was the Malfoys.

 _Ron._ Her dear friend was so unhappy. She was sad that his anger seemed directed at her. She could try harder to make him happy, she supposed. A heavy feeling settled at the pit of her stomach. She did not _want_ to be responsible for his happiness, and she felt guilty for letting him down.

 _Malfoy_. The burden lifted when she thought of his slow, happy smile. Now here was a person with whom she would like to spend more time. She wanted to share jokes and stories and books with him. She thought of kissing Draco Malfoy, and the thought made her melt into the fantasy until she submerged herself under water to wake herself up.

 _Stop it,_ she told herself furiously. _It is dangerous, too dangerous, to be thinking those kind of thoughts while a prisoner at Malfoy Mansion._ Seriously, Narcissa Malfoy might murder Hermione with her own wand if she knew what was in Hermione's mind. And Narcissa was a legilimens master. _Time to get out of the bath,_ Hermione thought. Time to guard against invasion of the mind. Maybe the bubbles in the bath were a type of relaxation potion.

Fresh robes were waiting for her when she entered the guest room. She glanced uneasily around, wondering who had been here and if they somehow knew about whom she had been thinking. She picked up the robes. They were silk, cool to the touch, such fine fabric. And the color was heavenly, a deep teal blue. Usually, she thought of teal as green, but these were definitely blue. The color looked striking next to her golden skin. She hastily dressed and ran to the mirror. Since there was nothing much to do here, she spent the next hour in front of the mirror, fixing her hair and putting on make-up that had appeared in the drawer. Obviously, Hermione Granger did not typically waste her time in front of a mirror, but something about this room made her want to look pretty and fit her environment. She thought that it might give her poise for her next encounter with Narcissa, but then paused. Perhaps this was part of the plan to lower her resistance to the Malfoy charm. She must be on her guard.

Hermione then spent the next hour trying to decide if it was safe to wear the teal blue robes.

Hermione heard a knock on the door, so she rose with her wand in hand. Her heart was beating rapidly as the door opened slowly.

"Miss Granger," greeted Narcissa Malfoy. "I see that you found the robes. They look very nice on you. Are you comfortable? Can I get you anything?"

"Yes. I need something to read. Several books, please, if I am to be here any length of time."

"It all depends on how soon Draco can get here," Narcissa replied graciously.

Hermione looked disapprovingly at her hostess. "Draco should _not_ be coming here. He is not safe from Bellatrix, and it will reflect badly on his record that he returned to Malfoy Manor."

Narcissa lifted her brow. "Or, it will reflect well on his record that he returned to rescue... Hermione Granger."

Hermione was certain that Narcissa Malfoy had just barely prevented herself from saying _the Mudblood._ She plopped down on the pale pink silk-covered bed in silence, waiting for whatever it was Narcissa Malfoy had come to say; then she reflected that the plop had somewhat disturbed her poise. Mutinously, she held Narcissa Malfoy's gaze.

"Miss Granger, it appears that you have helped my son. It is his desire that we protect and help you." Narcissa stated this fact calmly, albeit coldly.

Hermione's expression changed. _Narcissa had watched Draco's memories._ She smiled at Mrs. Malfoy; then eyed her skeptically. She was thankful for their protection, but how could they help her? Would they help to murder Bellatrix? Would they feed her information to pass to the Order? She didn't feel confident that they would do either.

"Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy. Thank you for your protection and for this lovely room-and robes-" she added hastily, glancing down at the deep teal blue silk. "I am very grateful. How do you plan to help me?"

"We will get you safely home when Draco arrives," Narcissa stated matter-of-factly.

Hermione felt disappointment flow through her veins and cursed the fact that her face most likely reflected her feelings. She could never compete with the expressionless face of a Malfoy. _What had she thought of the memories? Didn't she want to protect her son from the evil in her own home?_

"I see. Well, you may want to wait a day before sending the Order notice that you have me here, Mrs. Malfoy."

"Why is that, Miss Granger?"

"Your son has been ill. One more day would give him time to recover."

"Ill? You didn't mention that before," Narcissa's face was like perfectly carved stone, but her eyes flashed with anger.

"I did mention that Bellatrix had imperiused your son to kill me. It took a few days to break the curse, a few more days to get his memory back, and today he was feverish and nauseous from the remnants of the lingering poison from the curse."

"Then we had better bring him home _immediately_ if possible. I will have Lucius send the owl right away. I don't trust other healers; we do have our own."

Hermione gave up. This woman was impossible. She was not going to help them destroy Bellatrix. Worse, Hermione did not think Draco Malfoy had a chance in a million to break free of this controlling woman. She wanted Narcissa Malfoy to leave so she could have a cry or a punching session with the pillows. She rose and held out her hand to Narcissa Malfoy.

"Thank you, again, Mrs. Malfoy, I wish you the best. If I could have some books to keep me company, I will be fine waiting here alone."

Narcissa raised her brows at Hermione's dismissal of her. A faint smile touched her lips as she announced, "My house elf will take you to the library. He will apparate you to your room in the blink of an eye if your situation becomes unsafe."

Hermione fought (and failed) to restrain the smile that lit her face. _The Malfoy Library! This could be her one and only chance to see it._ She hoped that she would be able to spend the next four hours perusing the rare books on the Malfoy shelves.

Narcissa Malfoy also let a small smile slip and turned to leave. "When you are through with the library, Miss Granger, the house elf will bring you dinner."

Hermione nodded and thanked her again. She then sat on her bed to wait for the house elf to take her to the library.


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Malfoy Comes Home

_This is the chapter that ran away from me, and it's all Draco Malfoy's fault._

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Nineteen: _Malfoy Comes Home_

When the owl arrived, the Order sent word to Kingsley Shacklebolt before permitting Draco to open his letter. Draco was left curious as to the contents until it was convenient for Kingsley to arrive. He knew it was from his parents; the owl was a Manor owl. Draco stretched out on his bed and rested for probably the last time, if his parents demanded his return or if the Order decided he was to play at spying for the enemy. His life was always out of his hands, and he vaguely wondered what it would be like to take the reins and make the decisions to live his own life. Right now, he saw two options: live the clear defined life his parents had chosen for him or live some fantasy life Granger wanted him to live. Was there a third option? He searched possibilities, but his brain was limited in its ability to envision any other options.

McGonagall, Andromeda, Shacklebolt, Mr. Weasley, and Potter were present when Draco opened the letter. He was right; it was from his father. What he read, however, made his jaw drop. Malfoy's mask dropped entirely when he read the part about Hermione imprisoned at the Manor. He jumped to his feet.

"Hermione's been captured by Snatchers! It happened outside Fourish and Blotts. She's at the Manor. My father is asking for an exchange of prisoners. I'll leave right now. Granger won't last a day there. Bellatrix will murder her!"

The members of the Order looked shocked for a second before mayhem broke out. Draco was pushed back into his chair; he jumped up again. Harry was arguing that he should be the one to go because he had survived before, and knew the layout of the Manor. Really, he was just familiar with one cell in the dungeons and the drawing room. Draco briefly considered packing his Muggle clothes before realizing that all his clothes were at the Manor anyway. McGonagall seemed to comprehend the danger to Malfoy and was advocating that he _not_ go to the Manor; Andromeda was advocating that _she_ should be the one to go since Draco was not yet recovered.

When things quieted, the Interim Minister Shacklebolt announced that he would like to hear what everyone had to say. He nodded thoughtfully at the opinions of each Order member. Draco was frustrated by the waste of time, but he was also slightly amazed by the give and take, the openness and lack of fear in sharing ideas. He was also touched that they seemed to be considering _his own_ safety. This was a brainstorming session, and there was no judgment. Then they all looked at him; it was Draco's turn.

"There's no doubt in my mind that it has to be me. I am the only one they will accept as a trade for Granger. I'm the only one who can get through the wards. I know how to get Hermione back safely. I'll apparate her into a safe room in the Manor and then activate one of those portkeys that she made to get here. After she's gone, then I'll kill Bellatrix; my parents may help me, but I can't count on that."

Kingsley nodded, and everyone in the small room seemed to realize that Draco was right. No one looked happy.

"We can't trust you, Malfoy," Harry told him. "You have proven yourself trustworthy when with Hermione, but we've never seen you take a stand against your parents. What if it comes to that? Would you be able to follow through?"

"If I have any trouble, I will have my mother send for Andromeda," he suggested.

"Still risky," Harry argued. "What if your mother doesn't want Andromeda to visit?"

"Look," grit out Malfoy in frustration. "What is our goal here? Mine is to rescue Hermione and make sure she is safe. If I am able to complete the second task, I will, but if not, at least Granger will be out of there and in a safe location. That's all I care about, so let's stop wasting time and get on with it."

Harry had the grace to look ashamed; he nodded in agreement. "Malfoy has my vote of confidence," he announced. The other members of the Order nodded slowly.

"Bring our girl back to us safe and sound," implored Mr. Weasley.

"Do take care of yourself as well, Mr. Malfoy," added Professor McGonagall. She gave Malfoy a look of concern that surprised him.

Andromeda threw her arms around her nephew. "I know what you are thinking," she whispered. "But remember, this is not something you have to do alone. You are backed by the Order who will give you every help and consideration. I myself will be there at a moment's notice. Don't hesitate to call."

The next half hour was spent discussing communication between Draco Malfoy and the Order. He clenched his jaw trying to keep his exasperation to a minimum.

Finally, Draco said tersely, "I don't think communication will matter if Hermione is _dead_ by the time I get there."

"On the contrary," argued an unperturbed Interim Minister. "In that case, communication with the Order would be vital."

Draco Malfoy wanted to yell in frustration at the imbeciles before him. Did they not realize that every second they delayed could be a second more of torture or rape for Hermione? His eyes met Harry's. Harry recognized the desperation in them, and stepped forth to push things along.

"Let's use Hermione's DA galleons," he suggested. Draco looked confused and then impressed as Harry explained to everyone who charmed them and how they worked. Little did she know that her complex use of the protean charm might be used to save her own life and end the war!

* * *

After three hours pouring through books in the Malfoy library, Hermione leaned back with a sigh. She was seeking the spell Bellatrix had used to hypnotize her and invade her mind. It had to be in the Malfoy library somewhere, so she used her _accio volumen_ spell to locate the book of wandless magic it could be in. Several ancient leather books appeared before her table in the back corner of the room, and she ran her fingers over them reverently. One was in Latin; she discarded it. One was in a Germanic language; no, those weren't the types of sounds she remembered. One looked like Romanian, which was very similar to Latin. She examined the spells, they seemed primarily for child birth, physical ailments, and homemaking. She needed a spell that was more warlike, she thought.

 _Ah ha_. Here was one written in an old French dailect. _Of course_. That would explain why she didn't recognize the words, if it was _Old_ French. The Le Strange and Malfoy families had French roots; possibly all the pureblood families were descended from Norman nobility. Hermione perused the book carefully, looking for the spell and its counter spell. She also tapped the book with her wand to listen to the sounds of the spells. The first spell in the book was _adenz desuz._ Hermione tapped the words with her wand to translate the meaning to _face downwards._ Interesting. She recalled a sensation of falling when hypnotized by the spell Draco and Bellatrix had used, but she didn't know if _falling_ would be the same as _face downwards._ Her eyes lighted on the spell _cerval rumput_ that translated to _brains burst open_ when she tapped the words with her wand. Her eyes grew large, and she felt grateful that Bellatrix hadn't tried that one. Next she examined _dulor e peine_ and translated it to _suffering and pain._ This too was a terrible spell. She considered that one thoughtfully. The spells Malfoy and Bellatrix had spoken had been distressing, but not really painful.

She passed on to _foible turs d'esprit abatied_ that translated to _the feeble towers of the mind he destroyed_. Could this be the one? It certainly described her experience under the spell. She listened to it several times and thought that the cadence had a familiar ring. Hermione remembered being mesmerized by many words chanted over and over. Perhaps it was a combination of spells.

She read on. _Par voz saveirs sem puez accorder_ seemed to mean _he set you free. Set free._ As in being released from the spell? Could it be a counter spell? These words she needed to commit to memory. Hermione spent a few moments with this spell, then rushed on, not wanting to miss any other odd spells.

Her guard was Tibbets, a male house elf who nervously stood at the door and intermittently asked her if she needed food or drink. She smiled each time, thanked him, and assured him that she was very comfortable. If he hadn't looked so frightened, she might have been annoyed, but her heart went out to this sweet house elf who had survived the reign of Voldemort and now was enduring the reign of Bellatrix.

The house-elf pulled at the sleeve of her robe. Hermione looked up from her research.

"The Mistress says to come," the house elf said anxiously. "Mr. Draco is here."

Hermione stood up in a rush. _No! Not yet!_ She didn't want Draco Malfoy around Bellatrix until she found a spell that would take Bellatrix down. She swept the books into a pile and sent them back to the shelves with a flick of her wand. The little book in Old French, she placed in the pocket of her robes. _How had he arrived so quickly?_ It was evening; she had only been gone six hours. Had they sent the owl already? Hermione sighed and nodded at the house elf who took her hand and apparated them both to...the drawing room.

The drawing room was dark. Dark and full of memories. Hermione fought to keep her breathing steady as the fear and pain from her previous visit threatened to consume her. Bellatrix was standing in black dress robes and black shoes that made her seem taller and more powerful. Her black hair was piled on top of her head, adding to her height. But it was her gleeful expression and narrow eyes that caused Hermione's heart to quake. She closed her eyes to gather her courage, seeking the sense of humor that had given her boldness when she met Bellatrix earlier that day. Nothing came.

She opened her eyes and located Narcissa, poised and alert. Nearby was Lucius Malfoy, eyes glittering. Hermione turned her head to find Draco. He was in the opposite corner of the room. Hermione tried to meet his eyes, but they were shuttered and cold. Despair crept up on her. It really did seem that the Purebloods were going to annihilate the Mudblood, four against one.

Bellatrix threw her head back and cackled, "Come here, little Mudblood, and get what you deserve."

Hermione did not move. What did Bellatrix think she deserved? More carvings into her arm? More torture from forbidden curses? _Death?_

"Now, Bellatrix, remember that Miss Granger is my guest. We want to send her back home healthy and strong," spoke Narcissa Malfoy nervously. Lucius snorted and studied his nails.

"Do we?" asked Bellatrix with a smirk. "I am not so sure about that."

"Yes, remember, dear? Only she knows where your wand is. She must lead you to it."

Hermione's heart sank. She glanced at Draco, who was staring fixedly at his father.

"No, need, Cissy. I'll look into her mind and find out where it is. Then we can dispose of her."

"Fine. Miss Granger, are you ready?" Lucius Malfoy spoke up and held out his arm as if he were escorting her to dinner.

Hermione did not move.

"Draco will bring her to me," Bellatrix purred. And she began to chant spells in the foreign language with a commanding tone. _Was it Old French?_ Hermione wondered. She listened closely to the pronunciation and the cadence of the language, fingering the book in her pocket. Draco's eyes seemed glazed as he moved toward Hermione. Hermione stood her ground and gazed fearlessly into his eyes. She willed him with all her might to resist Bellatrix' control over him.

When he drew close he muttered, "Living mudblood. Dead mudblood." Then he placed his hands around her throat and began to squeeze. Hermione's eyes grew wide with surprise and fear. Malfoy's silver eyes were cold.

Narcissa called faintly, "No, Draco! Stop!"

With her last bit of air, Hermione murmured, " _Par voz saveirs sem puez accorder_." She stared into Draco's eyes, hoping to see a change.

Bellatrix cackled with glee.

Just as darkness threatened to overcome Hermione, she felt the familiar swirl of apparation.

When she opened her eyes, she was standing before Draco Malfoy in another room. His hands released her throat and moved to her face. Then he pulled her in close and began kissing her lips, her cheeks, her eyes, her hair. Hermione gasped for breath and pushed him away.

"What _are_ you doing, Malfoy?" Hermione asked coldly when she had recovered enough to speak.

Draco stroked her hair and pulled her back against his chest. "You're safe, Hermione. You're safe. I'm so glad you are alive. Let's get out of this nightmare, and then we can be together. I want you with me, in my life, at my side."

"I can _never_ be with someone who lays a hand on me. _Never._ I can _never_ be with you, Malfoy." She stiffened, pulled away, and shuddered.

Draco released her from his embrace and let his hands fall to his side. "I'm sorry. I was just so worried about you. I'm glad you are okay."

"I was worried too, but not until _you_ arrived on the scene and began strangling me. Were you trying to kill me or what?" Hermione's voice rose to a higher pitch.

"Of course not. I was trying to keep you safe."

"Safe?" shrieked Hermione. "You scared me to death! I'm going to have bruises on my neck. I couldn't breathe! I thought you were going to murder me. And then you snogged me like... I just can't handle that. Draco Malfoy, who _are_ you? Are you my friend or my murderer?"

"I...I don't know. I think I'm the same person, Hermione. I'm your friend. I care about you, and I want to keep you safe."

"That is _not_ how a friend acts, Draco Malfoy. Whoever you are, _never ever_ put your hands on my throat again. In fact, don't come near me ever again. I never want to be near you."

Draco's face blanched. He caught his breath and looked away. _What had he done?_ _He had just ruined everything. How could he fix this?_

Malfoy turned back toward her. His face was expressionless. He reached out his hand, but Hermione backed up.

"It's okay, Hermione. I'm not going to touch you. Come here."

But Hermione did not move. He took a step closer. She backed up.

He took a step closer. She reached for her wand.

He reached for her neck. Tears of fear filled her eyes. Her lips pressed together and trembled. She lifted her wand to point it at Draco Malfoy.

Draco Malfoy lifted her necklace and rubbed the portkey that he had placed there.

He stared deeply and sadly into her fearful brown eyes.

Hermione Granger disappeared.

* * *

 _Old French phrases and translation stolen directly from La Chanson de Roland, the oldest surviving French literature possibly written by a poet named Turold. The oldest manuscript dates between 1129 and 1165 and was written in Anglo-Norman. Nine other existing manuscripts are written in Old French. I'm not entirely sure these "spells" work here, but decided that a little poetry could never hurt._


	20. Chapter Twenty: Separation

_I really appreciate faithful readers like you who have followed this story from Day One. I feel like I'm gaining new friends. Thank you._

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Twenty: _Separation_

Hermione landed in Professor McGonagall's cottage. Worried faces relaxed into grins and shouts of joy greeted her.

"Hermione, you're safe!"

"Thank Merlin you are back!"

"Malfoy did it! He got you back!"

Hermione stared at everyone in a daze. Harry was grinning in relief. Professor McGonagall was smiling fondly. Mr. Weasley was beaming. Minister Shacklebolt was nodding his head. Yes, she was back, but something was niggling at the back of her mind. Something was wrong. Malfoy was wrong. Something was wrong with Malfoy.

"How is Malfoy getting back?" she asked hoarsely. Her throat still hurt from being strangled.

"Malfoy has a DA coin. He's going to let us know when he can get away, and we will meet him and pick him up."

"Hermione, are you feeling okay?"

Hermione looked up to meet Andromeda's concerned eyes. She shook her head, but kept back the tears.

"Did anyone hurt you?"

Hermione paused to think and then shook her head to say _no._ No one had hurt her really, but she had had the fright of her life as well as a heavy blow to realize that a person she cared about was untrustworthy. She had counted on the fact that he _liked_ her enough to take care of her. _Draco Malfoy had let her down_.

There was a de-briefing with the Order. Hermione described her experience and pulled out the little book of Old French spells. She described Malfoy Manor, Narcissa Malfoy, and Bellatrix. There wasn't much to say about Lucius or Draco. She avoided mentioning his attempt to crush the life out of her and had entirely forgotten his kiss. She had seen no other Death Eaters besides the two who snatched her from Flourish and Blotts. Really, her trip to Malfoy Manor had been a waste.

When Hermione checked for bruises the next day, she saw dark marks on her throat that reflected the violence she had experienced. She examined the marks in the mirror before glamouring them and knew that Draco Malfoy was not safe. He _had_ injured her. No way would she ever let him near her again.

But she still asked if there was news.

Every new day, she asked Harry, McGonagall, Mr. Weasley, and Andromeda if they had heard from him. She found her old DA coin and began sending him messages, but to no avail.

"Has Malfoy sent any messages?" Hermione asked Harry again one night. Harry was participating in Order meetings again. She was glad, but couldn't attend herself now. Harry and Hermione had switched places. Now, Hermione was having trouble getting out of bed; Harry was becoming a man of action.

Harry shook his head and gazed at her solemnly. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Hermione, just get it through your head that Malfoy is an evil git. He was, is, and always will be an evil git. Then forget him. He's not worth our time."

Hermione glared at Ron. "It is so unfair to make judgments about a person without getting to know them. You never gave him a chance."

"And I never will. He doesn't deserve a chance. I just don't get it. Malfoy _harmed_ you, Hermione, and here you are excusing him. Can't you see that _I_ care about you, and I don't want you hurt?"

Hermione's eyes filled with tears. Ron had noticed what she had tried to conceal with glamour charms. Ron cared. That was so sweet of him to care, but he didn't understand. He didn't understand her at all.

"I appreciate that, Ron. I'm glad that you care and that you don't want to see me hurt. That makes you a good friend, Ron. But I also need you to understand that I am concerned about Malfoy. He doesn't have anyone to look after him like you and I do. He has no friends who will go the extra mile for him. His family is trying to twist him into becoming a vile creature, and no one is fighting to get him out. It's just not fair."

"If he wants out, he can leave. What's not fair is seeing you shedding tears for that worthless Death Eater. All he wants is to _kill_ you, Hermione. Can't you see that? He doesn't deserve your pity or concern."

"Yes, he does deserve my pity and concern, Ron, because he is a human being who hurts and loves and hopes just like the rest of us. He's never been free, Ron. He's never known real love."

"He's a monster, Hermione!" exploded Ron. "He's injured you and next time might kill you. You have to let go of your obsession. I want you back the way you were. I want things between us to be the way they were. I want you to forget that creep."

Hermione stared at Ron curiously. _The way things were?_ And what was that, exactly? Hermione waiting for Ron to figure out if he liked her or not? She decided to leave that alone and stay focused on the main point.

"No, Ron, I can't live my life according to your standards. If I have compassion towards someone, I have to act on it. That's who I am. I'm not saying you're wrong about Malfoy. You might very well be spot on, but I can't agree with you that he doesn't deserve a chance. He was so close to leaving his Death Eater family... and now he's gone... and he might never be back."

"Good riddance."

Hermione rose. "I'm going to pack my things, Ron. I can't live here in this condemning, oppressive environment. Malfoy _tried_ to change, Ron. He _tried_ to do the right thing. Now, he's lost or captured and _no one_ is trying to get him back. _No one_ is fighting for him."

Harry stepped forward as if to block Hermione from leaving, but she brushed past him and ran to her room. Ginny stared from Ron to Harry and then ran after her.

"Unbelievable," muttered Ron. His lips were pressed together in anger, but his eyes were stricken at the realization that Hermione had just chosen Malfoy over him. He had lost her before they had ever had a chance to be together. Then he gritted his jaw and narrowed his eyes as he thought of second chances. Apparently, Draco Malfoy deserved multiple second chances, while he deserved none.

"It's okay, mate," comforted Harry. He couldn't promise that Hermione would be back, but he could promise comfort. "Things will get better."

"No, I don't think they will."

Ron felt as if Fred had died all over again. _Compassion_ , she had said. All he could think of was the lack of compassion that Hermione had exhibited toward him.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One: Investigation

_Finally, a search for the truth. What will Hermione discover? Thanks, JKR, for creating this possibility._

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Twenty-One: _Investigation_

Andromeda welcomed her with open arms, and Hermione settled into Tonks' old bedroom. Immediately, she began taking shifts caring for little Teddy. His adorable face kept her smiling, and she knew that being around this baby was just as healing for her as it had been for Ginny and Andromeda.

Andromeda was careful to give Hermione space; she and Teddy spent a large amount of time at 12 Grimmauld Place, inviting Hermione to join them, but not pushing when Hermione declined. After a few days of quiet, Hermione began to talk.

"Andromeda, what is the matter with me?" she began one morning as they sorted laundry together. "Why did I take a stand against Ron when I actually agree with him? He's right: Malfoy _is_ dangerous, and I told Malfoy that I never wanted to see him again after he hurt me."

"Did he harm you, Hermione?" asked Andromeda in alarm.

"Yes. See, here are the marks," Hermione released the glamour charm that covered the fading bruises on her neck. "Malfoy scared me, Andromeda, and I knew I could never trust him again. So _why am I so worried about him?_ I'm very worried, and I want him to be safe. It is very confusing. Why must I argue with Ron, when I agree with him that Draco Malfoy is bad news?"

"When did this happen? What did he do to you?"

"It was when I last saw Malfoy, in the drawing room at Malfoy Manor. Before he sent me home, he tried to strangle me, Andromeda. I almost passed out."

Andromeda frowned. "Do you think he was under a spell again?"

"It doesn't matter. He had never injured me before, not even when he was cursed. This time he did. I cannot live a life wondering if the person I'm...friends with... will be safe."

"Absolutely not. You are quite right, my dear. Still, I wish I could have been there to see what was happening."

Hermione stared at Andromeda curiously. "Of course you can be there, Andromeda. We can watch my memory and see how Bellatrix was controlling Malfoy. I would like some answers too. Let's begin an investigation."

With that, they planned a day at McGonagall's cottage, dropping off the baby with Harry and Ginny, then using Professor McGonagall's pensieve to watch the event that had destroyed any possible future for Draco and Hermione. Hermione jotted notes beforehand to prepare for the investigation.

 **Questions about Draco Malfoy**

1\. **Murderer** : 4 unsuccessful attempts on my life. _Was Malfoy controlled by Bellatrix during the last attempt just as he was during the previous attempts?_

2\. **Friend** : Tears, rejection of Blood Purity, a verbal commitment to the Order, a successful rescue. _Was this a sincere conversion or a ruse_?

3\. **Memories** : _Why had his memories of me been tampered with? Was it a failed attempt to obliviate Malfoy?_

4\. **Emotions** : _Why am I so worried about him? Why am I not glad to be free of him?_

Hermione looked up at Andromeda Tonks when she entered the room.

"I just dropped Teddy off," announced Andromeda.

"I'm ready," replied Hermione.

* * *

When the two plunged into Hermione's memory, Hermione began to shake. It was the dratted Malfoy Manor drawing room, she knew, as well as the presence of Bellatrix. The place gave her the creeps. Andromeda noticed and placed her arm around Hermione.

Hermione had no desire to watch the events unfold between Draco Malfoy and herself, but she did want to examine everyone else in the room. Someone was controlling Draco. She watched Bellatrix first. Bellatrix looked powerful, maniacal, and was singing her wandless French spell. Hermione glanced at Malfoy. Yes, his eyes were glazed over, and he began shaking. He was trying to fight the spell Bellatrix had cast, she thought. Or perhaps he was still recovering from the removal of the first curse.

 _This is so unfair!_ Hermione thought to herself. _Poor Malfoy never had a chance to recover from the first curse before he was hit by a second._

Next she watched Narcissa Malfoy. The woman looked incredibly tense, her eyes traveling from Hermione Granger to her son, but she was beautiful and poised as always. Hermione snorted.

Finally, Hermione's eyes traveled to Lucius Malfoy. She hadn't noticed him before because she had been so deathly afraid of Bellatrix and angry at Narcissa. Now, she watched Lucius standing in the shadows, and her blood chilled. Lucius Malfoy focused his attention on his son. He linked eyes with Draco and began to squeeze his hands together as if he himself were strangling Hermione Granger. Draco Malfoy began imitating his father, squeezing the life out of the Hermione Granger in the memory.

 _What? Lucius Malfoy was behind it all?_

Hermione pointed Lucius out to Andromeda. Andromeda raised her eyebrows and her jaw dropped. Then she but motioned for Hermione to join her by Draco. As she drew near, Andromeda waved her wand, saying "Revelio" and colorful bands appeared around Malfoy. A green swirl attached him to Bellatrix, but a silver web connected Malfoy to his father and mother as well as Bellatrix. _Was this how they controlled their son?_ Andromeda gestured toward a glowing bond between Draco and Hermione.

 _What on earth was that?_

Before she could ask Andromeda, she heard Hermione's faint whisper in the old French dialect and saw Malfoy's eyes clear. Immediately, they swirled away.

So, apparently, the spell Hermione had found in the little French book had worked. She would make a note of it.

 _Oh, no. They were still in the memory!_

Hermione blushed and tried to pull Andromeda out, away from what was going to happen next, but it was too late. Malfoy was kissing Hermione Granger everywhere-cheeks, lips, eyes, hair, forehead- then he pulled her close to him. Hermione was mortified that Andromeda was seeing such an intimate moment. Andromeda circled the pair, observing Draco Malfoy closely, so Hermione joined her. Hermione looked into Malfoy's eyes, and saw _love._ Draco Malfoy was experiencing _love_ for Hermione Granger, but the Hermione Granger in the memory was experiencing shock and fear. This Malfoy was not under a spell. This was the real Malfoy. Andromeda and Hermione watched the real Malfoy rejected by a harsh, angry, and terrified Hermione Granger. And this Malfoy looked devastated as he sent Hermione Granger on her way to safety. Hermione began to weep.

When Andromeda and Hermione emerged from the memory, Andromeda folded a sobbing Hermione into her arms. As Hermione shuddered and inhaled to control her blubbering, Andromeda stroked her back reassuringly. _What a wonderful friend she has been to me,_ thought Hermione, but that thought made her cry even more.

"I'm sorry," Hermione gasped. "You have been so kind, Andromeda. It's just so sad. It's all my fault that Malfoy didn't get away. I should have grabbed him when he activated the portkey. I should have brought him with me. I _knew_ he needed me. That's why I haven't been able to let go of my worries, even though I rejected him."

"I can certainly see why you reacted the way you did, Hermione. That was a terrifying experience. But obviously, the two of you are very close. When did your relationship begin?"

"No, we really had no relationship. We were just becoming friends," Hermione insisted.

Andromeda looked skeptical. "That was not merely a kiss between friends. And I noticed that the two of you were holding hands the day you came into the kitchen for tea. Something has been going on between you. Did you notice the glimmering bond?"

"No, really," Hermione insisted. "We were just becoming friends. What you saw in the memory was the first time Draco had ever kissed me. And I don't know what that strange light was. Was it magic?"

"What I saw looked like love, Hermione. Draco loves you. The glimmering light is a bond of love. How could that have happened in such a short time? Were you friends before you kidnapped my nephew? Did you have a romantic history?"

"No. We were only enemies. Truly, Andromeda."

"Perhaps Draco has been in love with you for a long time, Hermione. Perhaps that is why his memories of you were missing. And how ironic that he would be sent on a mission to kill the woman he loved."

Hermione blushed, but she didn't argue with Andromeda's rationale because she had come to the same conclusion.

"I think I know when it all started...at least when this obsession with Malfoy began for me, Andromeda. Would you mind visiting this memory with me?"

Hermione poured the vial labeled "Hermione Granger at Malfoy Manor" into the pensieve and held Andromeda's hand as they entered the drawing room at Malfoy Manor once again.

This time Hermione was on the floor writhing in agony under Bellatrix's Cruciatus. Hermione ignored the figure on the floor and stepped over to Malfoy. His horrified, agonized look melted her heart once again, and she longed to comfort him. This was the moment. Hermione looked over at Andromeda. Andromeda circled Malfoy and pulled out her wand.

"Revelio," she whispered. Immediately, a light shone. It was a golden light that circled from Malfoy's eyes to Hermione's, connecting the two. Andromeda checked her wand for a reading. "He is taking your pain, Hermione."

" _What?"_

"Yes, Malfoy is using Legilimency to access your mind. He is giving his strength to you and taking your pain on himself."

Hermione touched the glimmering bond that firmly connected the two. It was solid, three-dimensional, and full of light. "It's why I survived the Cruciatus curse. It's why I was able to resist Bellatrix. I knew he had helped me in some way, but I didn't realize the extent. Andromeda, this was the moment that I began to love Draco Malfoy."

Andromeda nodded. "This bond is unusual. I've not seen anything like it, except you know, in marriage ceremonies. It's similar to an unbreakable marriage bond."

Hermione shook her head in disbelief. It certainly explained the unwavering commitment she seemed to have had to Malfoy. It explained her sudden ability to read him. It explained why the Dark Side needed to oblivate his memory of her. It explained why he couldn't kill her when he tried. But _unbreakable?_ Would she always been attached to Malfoy? The thought struck fear into her.

Hermione asked, "Is this a spell that can be broken?"

"No," Andromeda replied. "It's a bond. Bonds are rarely broken."

"How did he cast it?"

"He sent you his heart, I think," Andromeda guessed. "And you must have accepted it and sent yours in return."

The two stepped out of the memory in the pensieve and re-entered Malfoy's old room in McGonagall's cottage.

"This is real, then," Hermione said as she mulled over the information gleaned from the memory. "This isn't a spell that can be broken or changed. He was there for me when I needed him most. Now, I need to be there for Malfoy."

The two witches drank tea as they pondered how to get Draco Malfoy away from the Malfoy Manor. Ideas were shared and notes were taken. Hermione had hoped that Andromeda could visit, but Narcissa had not returned her owls. Perhaps Harry would know what to do.

Hermione went to Hogwarts to research bonds. She wasn't sure that she wanted to break the golden bond between them, but she wanted to have the option so she didn't end up trapped in a relationship with a dangerous Death Eater. Her findings were not as satisfying as she had hoped.

The next morning Draco Malfoy was on the cover of the _Daily Prophet._ Headlines shouted, _Draco Malfoy, War Machine!_

Hermione let the cold, sneering photo of the hard faced, silver-blond Malfoy sink into her. She perused the article and began to feel nauseous as the article re-capped the number of lives Draco Malfoy had single-handedly destroyed.

 _She was too late._


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two: Mystery Solved

_I have two more chapters written, but this seems like a poetic ending. I like endings with mystique. Let me know if you would like to read more._

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Twenty-Two: _Mystery Solved_

McGonagall, Andromeda, Shacklebolt, Mr. Weasley, and Potter were present when Draco opened the letter from his father. What he read, however, made his jaw drop.

"Hermione's been captured! She's at the Manor! My father is asking for an exchange of prisoners. I must leave right now. Granger won't last a day there. Bellatrix will kill her!"

The members of the Order looked shocked for a second before mayhem broke out. Everyone was talking and shouting at once.

Suddenly, the door opened slowly. It was Hermione Granger.

"Hermione!" Harry shouted in relief and ran to hug her. "You're back!"

"No, I'm not," Hermione stated calmly. She lifted the time-turner from around her neck so everyone could see.

Everyone froze, and the room was silent. Malfoy eyed Hermione from at the back of the room, but said nothing.

"Miss Granger, where did you get that time turner?" demanded Professor McGonagall.

"It's yours, Professor. I borrowed it, and I will put it back into your cupboard when I am through."

"Do you mean to say you're at Malfoy Manor right now and here at the same time?" asked Harry.

"Yes," Hermione told him. Her eyes roved the room and landed on Malfoy. She watched him warily. He did the same.

Kingsley Shacklebolt spoke, "What news do you bring, Hermione?"

Hermione sighed, not knowing how exactly to begin explaining her story. "A decision will be made in this room in the next few minutes to send Malfoy to rescue me from the Manor. He did that, and I am safe now because of him. Malfoy, however, never returned, so I am asking that you come up with a different plan."

"Can you tell us more?" Kingsley inquired.

"I can. Malfoy once told me that he could never betray his loyalties due to blood bonds which would cause his death, isn't that right, Malfoy?"

Everyone in the room turned to look accusingly at Malfoy. His eyes stared unwaveringly into Hermione's as he silently pleaded with her to not turn against him.

"What does this mean, Miss Granger? Is everything we learned from Mr. Malfoy a lie? Is Bellatrix dead after all? _Is Voldemort still alive?_ _"_

"No, no, those truths were permitted, weren't they, Malfoy? No harm would come to you if you told us that Voldemort was dead or Bellatrix alive. Your Death Eater fealty to _Tom Riddle_ was broken with his death, and you never were bound to Bellatrix, just cursed by her. No, shall I tell everyone to whom you are bound, Draco Malfoy?"

He swallowed and shook his head.

"It took me awhile to see it, because Bellatrix's wandless spellwork is so powerful and frightening. But she's no longer capable of _planning_ destruction because her mind is gone. She is like a child now, albeit an evil child. Shall I tell more, Draco Malfoy?"

Again, he shook his head. All eyes traveled from Hermione to Draco and then back to Hermione.

"I borrowed your pensieve, Professor McGonagall, to watch the moment in time when Draco Malfoy came to rescue me. What was the first thing he did? _He tried to kill me_." Even though she had forgiven him, she still felt outrage. She was also extremely angry with the Order for abandoning Draco Malfoy. "Now why would _this_ Draco Malfoy who stands before you right now with the best of intentions try to... _strangle_ me within the next..." Hermione checked her watch, "two hours? What or who could change Malfoy into a monster that quickly?"

Everyone listened, mesmerized. Draco was frozen with dread.

"Well, let's look at it this way: _Who is one person Draco Malfoy would never betray_?"

Eyes traveled from Hermione Granger to Draco Malfoy and back to Hermione.

"His father," Harry stated in a quiet voice.

Hermione gazed around the room and nodded her head at Harry. "Of course, it had to have been Lucius. When I watched Lucius Malfoy in the pensieve, I learned the truth: he is controlling his own son like a puppet, forcing him to do his bidding, and Narcissa Malfoy is doing _nothing_ about it. So, whomever you send in to rescue me, it _cannot_ be Draco Malfoy. He is right now recovering from being _Imperiused_ , he is ill, and his walls of Occlumency are crumbling. He is in a weakened state and cannot stand against his father, let alone Bellatrix Le Strange."

"What about Malfoy's mother, Narcissa?" asked Harry.

"She is keeping me safe per Draco's request. Isn't that right, Malfoy?" Hermione again turned to Malfoy, but he was still silent and troubled.

"Then there is the most important thing that everyone should keep in mind," Hermione paused and blushed, remembering that Draco Malfoy had kissed her, although she had been unable to appreciate it at the time. "Draco Malfoy saved me. He put a portkey around my neck and sent me back home, at great risk to himself. I think it's too late to save Draco Malfoy in my time," she looked slightly ill, "but if we can prevent him from going home in the first place, perhaps it will change the future."

"You can't stop me," Malfoy drawled defiantly. "I'm the only one who can get through the wards. I'm the only one they want, and we can't delay because if what you say is true, then _you_ don't have much time left, Granger. Hearing how it all played out will help me prepare."

"No. It _cannot_ be you, Malfoy. You are like a weapon in his hands. You might save me, but you will kill others as a result. The trajectory leads to you losing your life, sanity, or Azkaban. I can't let you do that. It's better that I die if need be than you being used as a weapon against innocent people."

"I won't let that happen. I'll destroy myself before that happens."

"I don't want you to kill yourself, Malfoy! Don't think like that. That means there is no hope, and there is _always_ a way out. If you end your life, then that is the end _forever_."

"Agreed," Draco stated, staring at Hermione curiously. "Let's focus on the way out then. Let's examine everything to see if there is a way out."

"How about the portkey?" asked Harry. "Why can't Draco take two portkeys and use one to get back here?"

"Excellent, Harry," exclaimed Mr. Weasley. "Draco must return with Hermione. Very simple."

Hermione's eyes met Draco's. Both knew it was not that simple. Both knew that once he returned to Malfoy Manor, he would not be physically or mentally able to leave.

"How is he controlled, Hermione?" asked Andromeda. "What kind of magic controls him?"

"It's mostly his blood bond to his parents. That ensures that he does not step out of their will. But Bellatrix's spell is extremely powerful as well. I think that Lucius uses Bellatrix as his cover. He directs her to sing her wandless magic, and he controls Draco with Legilimency. Or he feeds his wishes into Bellatrix as she casts her spell, I'm not entirely sure. Draco could tell us."

But Draco Malfoy held his tongue.

"So, what if we send Draco home deaf and blind? If he cannot hear or see the people who control him, then his mind might be free to complete the task at hand," Andromeda suggested with an attempt at humor. She pulled a few smiles, but none from Hermione.

"I think I get the picture," Harry said thoughtfully. "Malfoy needs to rescue Hermione, and now someone else needs to rescue Malfoy."

"No one can get through the wards, Potter, besides myself."

"Right, but can you _bring_ someone else with you, Malfoy?"

"Potter, don't be ridiculous. They'd kill you as soon as they saw you."

"They wouldn't see me," Harry countered. Silence ensued as everyone contemplated the potential scenario.

"They would know that you were there. The wards would notify them that an intruder had come through."

"It would create a distraction, which would give you time to save Hermione and get out." Harry gave Malfoy a hard look, and Draco realized that part of Potter's job would be to force Draco Malfoy out of Malfoy Manor.

"Then Harry would be alone against Bellatrix, the Malfoys, and who knows how many Death Eaters?" Hermione frowned.

"Alone, but invisible. That gives me an advantage."

"Which room in the Manor would we be in, Hermione?" asked Draco.

"The drawing room," replied Hermione faintly. This was spiraling out of her control, and she was wondering if being in this time was helping matters at all.

"You can't be anywhere near the mirrors. The mirrors in the drawing room would reveal your position, and there are..." Draco paused to count in his head, "eight mirrors in the drawing room. It might take a few minutes, but they could locate you, Potter, even if you were invisible."

"What if I were to come instead?" asked Andromeda. "I would not be as threatening as Harry here. I doubt they would kill me right away, although since Bella killed my Dora, I shouldn't be too confident."

"Andromeda and I should both go with Malfoy," Harry opined. "Would your wards detect _two_ uninvited guests, Malfoy, or just intruders in general?"

"I think that might work," Malfoy began to smile.

"But how would _you_ escape Malfoy Manor, Harry and Andromeda?" Hermione asked urgently.

"Well, it should be fairly easy after we take down..." Harry's voice trailed away as Malfoy stiffened.

Hermione met Malfoy's eyes. _Could he do this? Could he go with Harry, knowing that Harry planned to kill Lucius Malfoy? Would he stay to protect his family?_

"I think we are back to square one," she said morosely. "Malfoy, you _must not go_."

"No, this will work," Malfoy spoke confidently. There was fear in his eyes, but also grim determination. "This has to work."

Andromeda stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Hermione. "Draco has a better chance at surviving now, Hermione, and so do you. Don't worry. I will engage Lucius and Narcissa in a conversation about Draco to delay any spells they try on him."

Hermione smiled gratefully at Andromeda. "Thank you, Andromeda, for being a very special friend. Here," Hermione pulled the book from her pocket. "I brought this book from the Malfoy library. It contains the spells that Bellatrix uses, and I think I found a counter spell that you will need to know. Malfoy and Harry, too. It's _Par voz saveirs sem puez accorder_ , and I think it means, "He sets me free." I used it once to stop the spell Bellatrix was casting on Draco." She copied the page with her wand and gave it to each of them. "If you touch the words, you will hear them spoken. Then you'll know how to pronounce it correctly."

Harry rolled his eyes.

Kingsley cleared his throat. "What are the plans for communication? How will you keep us posted?"

"Take my DA galleons, the ones I made for Dumbledore's Army so you can communicate if you get separated." Hermione passed out her coins. Draco looked confused, so Harry explained to him how they worked.

"I just need to speak privately with Malfoy before he leaves," Hermione said. No one raised their eyebrows or acted concerned, not even Mr. Weasley. They weren't thinking that Hermione was in danger from Malfoy, because they knew that the danger lay ahead at Malfoy Manor. Instead, all left the room with determined looks on their faces. _Could this be the end of the war?_

Hermione turned to gaze into Malfoy's trusting, warm grey eyes. Waves of emotion flowed through his eyes and over her, strengthening her and encouraging her. Hermione reached out for his hand and held it tightly, pulling it toward her heart. Her fear of Malfoy physically harming her began to melt.

"Malfoy, whatever happens, get back as quickly as possible. _Do not stay at Malfoy Manor_. If you do stay, your future is either death, lunacy, or Azkaban, do you understand? Also, do not touch me at the Manor," she began firmly.

"What? How am I to give you the portkey without touching you?"

"Just put the necklace over my head and rub the port key. Don't touch me."

"Why?"

"Because I like you, Draco Malfoy, very much, and when you touched me before, it ruined everything. I _cannot_ be with someone who has hurt me. You need to know that."

"I never asked you to be with me." Draco spoke coldly, but his eyes were dark with concern.

"No, you haven't... _yet."_

Draco nodded. Then he asked with a trace of fear, "I hurt you?"

"Yes, while you were in your father's power."

"What happened to me in your time, Hermione? Did I kill people?"

Hermione began to weep as she nodded her head.

"How do you know that I did?"

Hermione pulled out the article from the _Daily Prophet_ and held it out. He swallowed and looked extremely shaken as he perused the article. _This was bad. This was as bad as it could possibly get._

"Can I have this, Hermione?"

"No," she struggled to speak. "No, I need it to tell me if you succeed. It's the only thing I can think of. If you succeed at Malfoy Manor, then this article would not exist."

"Make me a copy. I might need this as an incentive to fight my father."

Hermione quickly did so with her wand, but implored him, "Don't fight your father, Draco. You might kill him, and that would kill you. You must get out of there as quickly as you can. Get out with me, Draco. Promise?"

Draco did not promise. Instead, he asked a question that was troubling him. "If we succeed, will there be two futures: an evil Draco and a good Draco? Or do you think that our plan will just delay the inevitable? Maybe I was created to be evil."

"No. I refuse to believe that, Malfoy. You are a _good person_ , Malfoy. You've threatened to harm me multiple times, but you have also saved my life multiple times."

Draco smiled faintly, but unbelievingly at her loyal commitment to _goodness._

"And as for possible outcomes, it could be that this will affect only one future, and when I return to my time, you will be waiting for me...as a friend, not a Death Eater," she continued hopefully.

Draco nodded. Then he pulled Hermione Granger into his arms and buried his face in her hair. He drew away so he could lift her face and gaze into her eyes. Tracing her lips, her cheeks, her eyes, her jawline with his finger, he reached in for the most gentle, sweet kiss Hermione Granger had ever received.

"Granger, if this doesn't work out, then I want you to know that I am grateful anyway," he spoke seriously. "The only person in this world who believes that my life could be different is standing before me. So, thank you, Hermione Granger."

Draco Malfoy released her and held out his hand. "Friends?"

Hermione put her hand in his. "Friends."

He pulled her close and thought about saying more, but decided that silence was best for now. Holding hands, the two left the room to prepare for the departure to Malfoy Manor.

Hermione began to weep at the thought of losing him forever. Malfoy stopped to kiss her tears away.

* * *

 _Many thanks to these extremely faithful reviewers who have also written their own excellent fanfics:_ theangelsarecoming, Montara, VeraDeDiamant, Kyonomiko, hoshiakari7, and Djomar. _Djomar has a wonderful collection of stories in a community that is named_ Of Ferrets and Mudbloods.


	23. Ch Twenty-Three: Draco Malfoy's Return

_For those of you who want answers and a cleanly wrapped up ending, this is for you. It's for Hermione too. She also would want to know these things._

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Twenty-Three: _The Return of Draco Malfoy_

Hermione Granger apparated to Andromeda's garden. She did not want to enter the house and face her inquisitive hostess, so she stayed outside for a moment to think about what had transpired. She knew now, without a shadow of a doubt, that Draco Malfoy loved her. And she knew that she loved him. She touched her fingers to her lips, remembering that sweet gentle kiss. How would she ever know if her visit with the time-turner had worked? She hoped that it had made a difference. She hoped that Draco Malfoy, Harry, and Andromeda had survived their visit to Malfoy Manor. With shaking hands, she pulled the newspaper article out of her pocket.

It had not changed. Her hopes plummeted. The raging Draco Malfoy, Death Eater war weapon, was still the feature. Tears came to her eyes. Malfoy was not set free from his father's control. Did that mean the Order was unsuccessful in their attempts to bring Malfoy out of Malfoy Manor, or that it had failed to affect her time? She might never know. With a sigh to quiet her despair, Hermione entered Andromeda's home.

"Hermione! Come into the sitting room!" sang Andromeda cheerfully. In response, Hermione raced to the cosy room and burst through the door. On the love seat across from Andromeda sat Draco Malfoy and his mother Narcissa. Draco rose immediately and stepped toward Hermione.

"Draco, you're here! You made it out! You're safe." Hermione began to cry, but she locked eyes with him through her tears to be sure it was _her_ Draco. "I was so worried."

"Draco, you may take Hermione outside while Andy and I catch up," suggested Narcissa. Hermione glanced at her, but did not see any particular warmth in her face. No doubt she had to struggle through her prejudices against her son's preference for a Mudblood. But she was here. That said something.

"Thank you, Narcissa. I'm glad you are safe too," Hermione responded warmly. Then she threw herself into Draco's arms and hugged him tightly. They saved their kisses until they left the house. Hermione was so happy and so relieved to see Draco that she snogged him with abandon. They were both grinning from ear to ear when the kiss came to an end.

"Tell me _everything,"_ Hermione commanded as she pulled Draco by the hand to the stone bench in Andromeda's flower garden. "Did our plan work? When did you get out? Is Harry safe? _When did Andromeda return?"_

"Everything went as planned. Andromeda silenced Bellatrix so her spell couldn't work on me or anyone else. Harry was the surprise. He defeated my father. Bellatrix put up quite a fight; Andromeda and my mother took her down."

"Defeated? As in captured or killed?" interrupted Hermione.

"Both Bellatrix and my father were killed."

Hermione squeezed Draco's hand and whispered, "I'm sorry," into his ear. But Draco shook his head.

"Now that my father's dead, I'm free from his control. I'm free to live my life, Hermione. I'm free to be with you."

Hermione hugged him tightly and kissed him again. "You're free from his evil hand." Then she nudged Draco to continue. "Go on. Tell me more about what happened."

"After I sent you back, I stayed to keep an eye on my mother. Mother opened the wards to allow Aurors to enter, and they killed or captured the remaining Death Eaters. Harry set free the prisoners in the cellars. All is good, Hermione. Everything worked."

"But when? When did it all happen?"

"Two weeks ago."

" _What?"_ Hermione began hitting Draco with her hands and fists, wishing for her extendable bag that had a better swing. "This happened _two weeks_ ago, and I just now find out about it? Don't you know how worried I've been? _How dare you!"_

"Think." Draco caught her arms and pinned them to her sides, stooping in for a quick kiss to silence her. "The day you read that article in the _Daily Prophet_ was when you decided to use the time turner to warn us. We didn't want to jeopardize that moment in time. It could be important. So we decided to lie low for a few weeks until today's _Daily Prophet_."

"That's brilliant. Who thought of that detail? I would have missed that."

"Andromeda, of course. She said that we had to wait until you came back from returning McGonagall's time turner before we revealed ourselves. If you didn't use the time turner to warn us, then the future might not change, even after we succeeded."

Hermione nodded. Her admiration and respect for Andromeda grew. "So Andromeda knew that the venture was a success, and she didn't tell me even though I've been _living_ with her? I've been going crazy with worry! And she's been helping me brainstorm. I just can't believe it."

"Believe it. Harry was in on it too."

"Arghh!"

"Understand, love, that it's because _you_ were key to our success. We didn't want to do anything that might damage your trip back in time."

"But if you were successful at Malfoy Manor, why didn't this change?" Hermione pulled the paper out of her pocket and showed it to Draco who shuddered at the sight.

"Well, this article is a fake. It's the only copy. I couldn't let my reputation be ruined any more than it is already, right?"

"Right." Hermione rolled her eyes at his vanity, but frowned at the thought of being manipulated by a fake _Daily Prophet_. Then she grinned at the sheer complexity of their plan. Harry would never have thought all this out by himself. _And best of all,_ _the plan had worked!_

"So what have you been doing this whole time, Malfoy?"

He raised his eyebrows at the use of his surname, but his lips twitched.

"Oh, spending time in the Malfoy library, you know."

She swatted him.

"Mostly, cleaning up the Manor; talking to my mother. Now that Lucius is out of the picture, she is more open to ... you."

"Oh, really? Me? As your friend?"

Malfoy grinned. "Yes, as my friend. That is what we agreed upon: friendship, right?"

"That's right." Hermione primly detached herself from his arm. Draco reached for her again, but Hermione held up her wand.

"Draco, I have something amazing to show you."

"What is it?"

"Remember when I said that something happened to me the night Bellatrix tortured me? Remember how I treasured the memory because I saw the real you? This is what happened, Draco." Hermione waved her wand over them, saying "Revelio."

A golden strand appeared, swirling around the two of them.

"Watch this," Hermione commanded. She sprinted to the end of the garden, climbed over the fence, and ran through the field next door. The golden strand narrowed, but stretched the distance, still connecting Hermione to Draco.

His jaw dropped.

"What is that?" he asked, shaken. Hermione came running back to him.

"Andromeda says it's a bond, like a marriage bond, but I don't remember taking any vows, do you?"

"A bond," Draco repeated slowly. "Bonds are not good, Hermione. I don't want you bound to me by magic. I don't want control over you or you to control me. Bonds are what got me into the trouble I was in."

Hermione had touched the golden swirls reverently, affectionately, but Draco stared at them with horror.

* * *

 _Oops, I lied. Not quite the end. One more chapter to go!_ _And when you finish, I hope you read my other stories: Shatter the Wall, Interactions, New Story, and Wrong Wife._


	24. Ch 24: The Future of Draco Malfoy

_Today is my birthday, so let's celebrate with a grand finale._ _Thank you for reading._

 _ _JK Rowling owns all.__

 **The Mystery of Draco Malfoy**

Chapter Twenty-four: _The Future of Draco Malfoy_

"Draco?"

"It's wrong, Hermione. We have to break it."

"No, Draco, please. Don't destroy something lovely and good."

"Okay," Draco began slowly. "But don't you understand? By your own words, you didn't even like me until you were bound to me by this ...ribbon of light. Love should not be the end result of magic."

"Maybe you are looking at it backwards, Draco. Maybe this magic is the end result of love."

"So we _loved_ each other while my aunt was torturing you?" he asked skeptically. Hermione shrugged, but looked solemn.

He tried to look into her eyes, but was distracted by the golden band swirling around them. He pulled away from her in order to see the magical bond grow thinner, but stronger.

"See, Hermione? We are bound together. I am done with bonds. I want no part of them. I want you free to love me from your own choice, not because some golden ribbon compels you to do so."

"If you destroy this bond, Draco, then you could destroy _us."_

"If breaking this destroys _us_ , then _us_ never truly existed."

"Draco, our relationship is very new; we need to strengthen it, not weaken it. Destroying this bond will cause us pain. Don't hurt me again, Draco, please."

Draco sighed again and looked conflicted. "So, it can be broken, you say?"

"Andromeda thought not, but in my research, I found ways to break it. Unfortunately, those ways are harmful, not physically, but emotionally. It will hurt, Draco. It will be like a divorce. We will be separated. I don't think it's the right thing to do."

Hermione led Draco back to the stone bench amongst Andromeda's flowers. She turned and gazed confidently into his worried face. "This is not a spell or a potion, Draco. No one cast this bond to control another person. This is a magical side-affect of our feelings for one another. This happened because you shared my pain during the _Cruciatus_ curse. You saved my life, Draco. We bonded through pain and suffering. This golden ribbon is the connection that we forged on that terrible day. It hasn't gone away, and I think it will stay forever." Hermione began to lose her confidence. "That is, if you want it to," she concluded hesitantly.

"I've been bound to people my entire life, and I would like to be free," Draco said resentfully.

Hermione distanced herself from Draco. "Free, as in without me in your life? Because if that's what you want, I will gladly destroy this bond."

"No, I don't want to be without you, Hermione."

"Good." She exhaled slowly in relief. "Draco, in the Muggle world, bonding with someone is a good thing. Babies bond with their mothers, friends bond, lovers bond. They share love; they just can't see the magic. We can see our magic, so we are fortunate."

He nodded. "But I want our love to be a choice that we've made, not something forced upon us."

"This bond does not hinder free will. It certainly did not keep us from hurting each other. It did not stop me from staying away from you when I was angry. It did not stop you from forgetting me when your father obliviated you. It did not stop you from hurting me when you were imperiused. I think we do have freedom with this bond. Freedom to be destructive or to be constructive. I want to _build_ a life together, don't you, Draco?"

Draco nodded uncertainly. She saw vulnerability in his eyes. Hermione tried again.

"Neither of us meant for this to happen. It was not forced by either of us. It was not an attempt to control the other person. It happened out of compassion and a desire to help. It was your magic _and heart_ reaching out to strengthen my magic that awakened my love for you. I believe that, Draco. Neither of us said any magic words. Neither of us waved a wand. This is a beautiful thing, Draco. Don't destroy it, please."

In response, Draco swung her into his arms and began to kiss her thoroughly. The golden bond swirled around the two of them. After a minute, Hermione pulled away to look into Draco's warm eyes.

"Can you believe that I'm actually grateful to your crazy Aunt Bellatrix for torturing me? We would never have developed feelings for each other if she hadn't. You would have hated the bushy haired beaver, and I would have despised the blond ferret forever if it hadn't been for her."

"Not true." Draco leaned in to kiss her bushy brown curls and her ear. "I never hated the bushy haired beaver. I admired her and had been fighting feelings for her for a long time."

"Really?" Incredulously, Hermione stepped back to search his face. "I can't believe that. You were so rude and mean."

"I was trying to fight it, but come on, Hermione, you must have wondered why I stared at you all the time?"

She caught her breath and thought back to her imagined scenarios. "It's not because you hated me and wanted to hurt me?"

He shook his head, _No._

"Because you were keeping an eye on Harry?"

He shook his head, _No._

"You secretly liked me?"

He nodded his head, _Yes._

"Wow," Hermione breathed. "That explains why your memories of me had to disappear. How could you be loyal to the Dark Lord and me at the same time? But what a cruel thing to do. Your father tried to make you kill a person you loved."

"My father was a cruel man who craved power. But though it's terrible to say, I'm glad that he tried to obliviate me and make me forget my memories of you."

"What? Draco, why would you say that? You're glad you _didn't_ remember me?"

"If I had remembered who you were when we met again in McGonagall's cottage, I would never have had the courage to be your friend."

Hermione smiled at that. "Would you have been the mean ferrety git we all hated? I could have worked with that. Remember, I can see beneath the Malfoy mask now." She gave Malfoy a kiss, then broke it off to ask, "Now that your father is gone, is the war over?"

"So they say. _The Daily Prophet_ should have an announcement from Shacklebolt tomorrow."

"Let's make up for everything, Draco. Let's stay together and make each other happy. Let's defy the odds. Let's make a difference in this world and help witches and wizards recover from the war." Her face lit up with excitement and hope.

Draco's lips began to curve. A load lifted off his chest.

"Friends?" she asked holding out a hand.

"Friends," he agreed, shaking her hand solemnly.

But instead of letting go of her hand, he pulled her gently toward him. He reached for her face, met her eyes and drank in their endless pools of warmth before softly touching his lips to hers. It was a tender kiss, a quick kiss. Hermione was shivering all over, but beaming at Draco Malfoy. His eyes warmed to hers, and he smiled back.

"More than friends?" Draco Malfoy asked.

Hermione smiled. Malfoy waited for her answer.

"Yes, more than friends," she agreed solemnly. And he drew her back into his arms.

"Forever?" he whispered.

Her breath caught and tears came to her eyes.

"Forever," she promised. She reached up to kiss Draco Malfoy. The golden light swirled around them.

* * *

 _Th_ _e End?_

 _No, this is The Beginning._


End file.
